school buses

New Law Requires Post-Trip Inspections, Two-Way Radios

November 17, 2009 -- CHICAGO - November 17, 2009 -- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today signed a bill into law that will significantly improve the safety of Illinois’ students riding school buses.

The law amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to require all school bus drivers conduct comprehensive posttrip inspections to ensure that children, and other passengers, are not left unattended on a bus. The new law also requires all school buses be equipped with two-way radio systems designed to alert drivers to incoming communications, requests or alerts from school districts or emergency service providers.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- LAKEWOOD -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today visited hundreds of students at Foothills Elementary School to sign into law three major New Energy Economy bills, including one that will help schools invest in solar panels, wind turbines and hybrid or electric buses.

House Bill 1312, sponsored by Rep. Andy Kerr and Sens. Gail Schwartz and Chris Romer, creates an innovative "Renewables for Schools" loan program to help schools afford clean-energy projects and electric or hybrid buses so they can reduce utility costs and invest those savings back where they belong -- in the classroom. In January, with the help of the Governor's Energy Office, Foothills Elementary installed a 9.5 kilowatt solar system on its roof.    » read more »

April 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC ­– As part of the Department of Energy’s commitment to advancing the next generation of electric vehicles in the United States, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selection of a new demonstration and testing project to develop a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) school bus to be used in fleets across the country.    » read more »