Better Buses for Back to School

Propane school buses are a smart choice to reduce emissions

When many of us think of back-to-school season, we picture crisp fall weather, shiny apples, new school supplies, and bright yellow school buses. Nothing ruins that wholesome scene more than a cloud of smelly black exhaust trailing behind your child’s school bus as it picks them up for their first day.

Unfortunately, this exhaust cloud is unavoidable with diesel buses. The good news? There are environmentally friendly alternatives with no black cloud, like propane buses, that ensure children arrive at school happy and ready to learn.

Propane school buses provide a cleaner, more enjoyable ride for over one million students every day. With propane buses, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are reduced by up to 96% compared with diesel-fueled models. They are also much quieter – a characteristic that bus drivers, students, and their neighborhoods benefit from.

Propane buses cost about the same to purchase as diesel buses, but offer significant savings in fuel and maintenance costs. In fact, propane buses have up to 50% lower fuel costs. School districts can invest these savings into hiring new teachers, buying better educational materials, and other resources to help their students be successful. Additionally, through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, school districts can receive funding to replace diesel buses with propane buses, contributing to greater cost savings and reducing more harmful emissions.

Every child deserves a clean, safe, and healthy ride to school. Learn more about clean propane school buses and how to bring them to a school near you.

Source courtesy of PERC (Propane Education and Research Council)