B.C. students will soon be riding to school in new, cost-effective buses, as the Province distributes $10.5 million to 32 school districts to replace old buses in their fleets.

About 100 buses will be purchased and this year, for the first time, the ministry and the Association of Student Transportation Services of BC negotiated fixed prices from multiple B.C. vendors, to help save approximately 15 per cent on bus replacements. This allows districts to choose from different vendors and purchase buses at the most competitive prices, regardless of where they are in the province. The same offers are also available to independent and band-operated schools so they can save on bus orders.

School buses reduce the number of vehicles and accidents in school zones and are one of the safest modes of transportation for children. Every school bus is designed to meet safety standards set out by Transport Canada, the Canadian Standards Association and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. School buses must also pass routine inspections by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Quick Facts:

• Forty-six school districts own and operate more than 1,000 school buses.
• In total, B.C. school buses travel approximately 180,000 kilometres each school day.
• Transport Canada research shows school bus travel to be 16 times safer than travelling in a family car.

Learn More:

To read about school bus safety visit: www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safedrivers-childsafety-schoolbus-index-142.htm

To find out about the Association of School Transportation Services of B.C. visit: www.astsbc.org/index.html

To learn more about BC's Education Plan, visit: www.bcedplan.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963 (Media line)

BACKGROUNDER

Feb. 7, 2012 Ministry of Education

New buses provide safety and savings

The following school districts have received provincial funding to update their fleets.

School District Southeast Kootenay (SD 5): $378,329

* Three 84-passenger buses

School District Rocky Mountain (SD 6): $199,842

* One 70-passenger bus

* One 76-passenger bus

School District Kootenay Lake (SD 8): $399,568

* Four 70-passenger buses

School District Kootenay-Columbia (SD 20): $452,003

* Two 70-passenger buses

* Two 84-passenger buses

School District Vernon (SD 22): $707,009

* Seven 70-passenger buses

School District Central Okanagan (SD 23): $226,002

* One 70-passenger bus

* One 84-passenger bus

School District Cariboo-Chilcotin (SD 27): $193,739

* One 54-passenger bus

* One 70-passenger bus

School District Quesnel (SD 28): $226,002

* One 70-passenger bus

* One 84-passenger bus

School District Abbotsford (SD 34): $398,595

* One 36-passenger bus

* Three 70-passenger buses

School District Langley (SD 35): $98,919

* One 36-passenger bus

School District Richmond (SD 38): $425,786

* Three 70-passenger buses

School District Powell River (SD 47): $252,219

* Two 84-passenger buses

School District Howe Sound (SD 48): $478,221

* One 70-passenger bus

* Three 84-passenger buses

School District Central Coast (SD 49): $199,784

* Two 70-passenger buses

School District Boundary (SD 51): $126,110

* One 84-passenger bus

School District Okanagan Similkameen (SD 53): $199,900

* Two 76-passenger buses

School District Bulkley Valley (SD 54): $199,784

* Two 70-passenger buses

School District Nicola-Similkameen (SD58): $99,892

* One 70-passenger bus

School District Peace River South (SD 59): $395,788

* Four 64-passenger buses

School District Peace River North (SD 60): $579,889

* Three 54-passenger buses

* One 60-passenger bus

* Two 70-passenger buses

School District Sooke (SD 62): $504,438

* Four 84-passenger buses

School District Saanich (SD 63): $100,889

* One 48-passenger bus

School District Gulf Islands (SD 64): $252,219

* Two 84-passenger buses

School District Nanaimo-Ladysmith (SD 68): $252,219

* Two 84-passsenger buses

School District Qualicum (SD 69): $67,865

* One 24-passenger bus

School District Alberni (SD 70): $126,110

* One 84-passenger bus

School District Kamloops/ Thompson (SD 73): $499,749

* Five 76-passenger buses

School District Gold Trail (SD 74): $99,892

* One 70-passenger bus

School District Fraser-Cascade (SD 78): $126,110

* One 84-passenger bus

School District Cowichan Valley (SD 79): $504,438

* Four 84-passenger buses

School District Okanagan-Shuswap (SD 83): $507,514

* Five 76-passenger buses

School District Nechako Lakes (SD 91): $1,277,874

* Nine 76-passenger buses

* Three 84-passenger buses

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963 (Media line)