New school transportation guidelines proposed
14.08.2008 15:01
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- Source: cbc.ca
The Canadian Standards Association has developed new voluntary guidelines for school vehicles. The guidelines, released on Wednesday, create a new category of vehicle, called a multi-functional activity bus, which is meant to be a safer alternative to 15-passenger vans. "It's the first Canadian standard that proposes voluntary requirements for a new class of vehicle," said John Walter, vice-president of the Canadian Standards Association. "It's intended to be used as a safer alternative to vehicles that aren't classified as a school bus." There are no federal regulations pertaining to vehicles that can carry more than 11 passengers for the purpose of transporting students. The guidelines suggest a multi-functional activity bus meet certain mechanical, body and safety equipment standards. The guidelines would place structural requirements resembling those used for school buses on the activity buses. The Canadian Standards Association started reviewing standards of a multi-functional activity bus in 2006 after receiving reports of many vehicles that weren't classified as school buses. In July, a report from the RCMP and Transport Canada found that a 15-seat 1997 Ford Econoline F350 Club Wagon being used to transport a New Brunswick high school basketball team would not have passed provincial motor vehicle inspections. The van was involved in a January crash that killed seven members of the Bathurst High School basketball team and a local elementary school teacher. The van had worn tires, faulty brakes and a rusting body at the time of the accident. Six of the eight people killed were not wearing seatbelts. 'Valuable alternative'The new Canadian Standard guidelines would also place requirements on the vehicle's frame, steering, emergency exits and seatbelts. The standards could help schools make safer transportation choices, Walter said. "This is a valuable alternative for provinces and school boards to consider using for the safe transportation particularly for school-age children and we urge provinces and school boards to consider adopting them," Walter said. Because the standards are voluntary, the adoption of the guidelines will be left to the discretion of the provinces and school districts. British Columbia has already announced that it will be following the standards while Alberta will be introducing provincial legislation that reflects the new standards in the fall. A spokesperson for New Brunswick's Education Department said the government will be considering adopting the new standards as part of its current transportation guidelines review. The recommendations of a provincial working group that has been examining how to minimize the risk of travel by students to extracurricular activities is expected to release its report this month. The Bathurst crash prompted the New Brunswick government to pull 15-passenger vans used to transport students to school off the road. Guidelines would be difficult for rural schools: former principalBut the proposed multi-functional buses could mean a larger cost for small rural schools, said David MacMullin, former principal at Harvey High School. If New Brunswick decides to adopt the new guidelines, it would make the 24-passenger bus that Harvey High uses obsolete, MacMullin said. The vehicle was purchased four years ago for about $30,000. A vehicle that would meet the new guidelines would have an estimated cost of $90,000. "I think the bigger schools can manage it but they might prefer to go to local rental companies," MacMullin said. "The city schools would have access to the rental companies that would have three or four vehicles any particular day. For rural schools, that's more difficult." The government should be providing schools with more money to be able to purchase vehicles through a cost-sharing plan, MacMullin said. In New Brunswick, schools and school districts cannot own vehicles under the Education Act, so incorporated bodies are often set up within a school to own and operate vehicles to be used for extracurricular activities. The incorporated bodies have to raise funds to purchase the vehicles and to cover associated costs and insurance. 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