[Ploughman]

Originally Posted by Schnellzug

I've never really bought into this vogue for "American style yellow School buses". American style school buses are some of the worst kinds of buses there are, horrendously crude truck-style things with high floors, multiple steps and seating that makes a class 142 look like a Pullman. They're hardly a great advertisement for what modern Buses can be like, are they. it's only thanks to the Simpsons that local authorities thought they were the way forward. I bet they're a factor in putting American kids off using buses for life, if they think that every bus is going to be like that.

The only problem with them is that the operating procedure was left back in the states.
If the regulations about their use in the states had been copied and introduced over here then there would be a dramatic increase in safety for the kids.
But probably howls of anger from the passing drivers (or not passing as the case may be)

As I understand it when the bus puts its stopping lights on everything on the road has to stop, no matter what type of road it is, and wait until the kids are across the road if required and the lights are turned off.
Correct me if I am wrong in this.

[fairysdad]

Originally Posted by Schnellzug

I've never really bought into this vogue for "American style yellow School buses". American style school buses are some of the worst kinds of buses there are, horrendously crude truck-style things with high floors, multiple steps and seating that makes a class 142 look like a Pullman. They're hardly a great advertisement for what modern Buses can be like, are they. it's only thanks to the Simpsons that local authorities thought they were the way forward. I bet they're a factor in putting American kids off using buses for life, if they think that every bus is going to be like that.

I didn't even realise before reading this thread that we even had any yellow school buses over in the UK, except possibly where a local bus/coach company had yellow as their livery...

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by Ploughman

The only problem with them is that the operating procedure was left back in the states.

Slightly related to this. What's the exact rule on the yellow sign that has to be placed on the back of any school bus, is this not a legal requirement? If so what purpose does it actually serve considering they aren't generally removed when the vehicle is being used on a non-school service?

The Bluebird school buses in the UK do have a CCTV camera on the rear with a monitor next to the driver's seat. I don't know if that's to make it safer for the bus to reverse or safer for children.

Originally Posted by fairysdad

I didn't even realise before reading this thread that we even had any yellow school buses over in the UK, except possibly where a local bus/coach company had yellow as their livery...

They seem to be more of a North of England thing and only run on a selection of routes.

Cheshire introduced them in 2000 and they haven't really expanded and taken over on school routes but the ones introduced have been kept.

I think West Yorkshire was later on as they had a yellow school bus with big lettering saying 'School Bus Demonstration Project' in around 2005. First Huddersfield/Calderdale also painted some of their B reg double deckers in yellow and branded them as school buses around that time but didn't refurbish them with higher density seating, unlike what other operators have done.

[BestWestern]

The initial US-style school buses were quite a few years back now, but very thin on the ground. I recall West Sussex Council obtaining a batch of old style Bluebirds, I think, which ran in various places including around the Chichester area. Seem to remember though that they wore a blue and white livery, rather than yellow, but they were to 'yellow schoolbus' style. I presume they were also built to right hand drive.

The current generation seem to be largely with First in many areas, and they use an ugly flat fronted thing called a Scholabus I think. Have a feeling they're made by Irisbus?!

[WatcherZero]

Greater Manchester has over 100 of them. Their mainly viewed as more robust with higher crashworthiness, more noticable to other traffic, seatbelts, assigned seating and permanently assigned driver.

The early ones were US imports but I think laterly their variations on European designs just made from steel rather than aluminium.

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by BestWestern

The initial US-style school buses were quite a few years back now, but very thin on the ground.

The original 3 Cheshire Bluebirds have V reg registration plates, so that gives away when they were registered.

Here's a picture of one of them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildmoreway/5706199999/

And this is how it compares to an older US school bus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IC...School_Bus.jpg

And a more modern US school bus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bl...ican_A3_re.jpg

[michael769]

Originally Posted by Ploughman

As I understand it when the bus puts its stopping lights on everything on the road has to stop, no matter what type of road it is, and wait until the kids are across the road if required and the lights are turned off.
Correct me if I am wrong in this.

Technically in most states the rule applies whenever it is carrying children, even if the lights are not lit. However as the lights are supposed to be used to indicate that it is "on duty" most Highway Patrols are unwilling to prosecute if the lights are not lit.

Originally Posted by jcollins

Slightly related to this. What's the exact rule on the yellow sign that has to be placed on the back of any school bus, is this not a legal requirement?

It is a warning sign and as such has no legal standing whatsoever. Most council contracts now require that it is displayed on School Buses. DfT guidelines say that it should be removed when not carrying school children but there is no law to back that up so compliance is poor.

[anthony263]

First cymru had a few yellow school buses at their Llanelli depot (I am sure Greenback can confirm this) as well as at Carmarthen.

Edwards coaches had a few Bluebird schoolbuses which did make appearances on service work occasionally however a few oeprators I know tend to prefer to use full size coaches fitted with 2+2 or 3+2 seating with seatbelts and CCTV.

Certain councils have actually banned double deckers from contracted school routes Swansea being an example although Neath & P/Talbot council dropped this because the cost of contracts shot up sharply and a few routes were taken on commercially by a few operators

[Yew]

Wasnt the main selling point of an american school bus that they where built like a tank in case of a crash?

[MCR247]

Aren't a load of Versas being built as yellow school busses for Manchester now? Would be quite short sighted if there might be a surplus?

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by MCR247

Aren't a load of Versas being built as yellow school busses for Manchester now? Would be quite short sighted if there might be a surplus?

That's one of the problems with leased buses being used in Manchester. When new buses were introduced on the free city centre services the Solos were off-lease so GMPTE let them go off-lease and didn't care where they finished up.

[Schnellzug]

Originally Posted by jcollins

Slightly related to this. What's the exact rule on the yellow sign that has to be placed on the back of any school bus, is this not a legal requirement? If so what purpose does it actually serve considering they aren't generally removed when the vehicle is being used on a non-school service?

The Bluebird school buses in the UK do have a CCTV camera on the rear with a monitor next to the driver's seat. I don't know if that's to make it safer for the bus to reverse or safer for children.

I think that's a fairly standard fitment on a lot of buses; there's a screen in the cab that shows the picture to the rear when reversing, and also on some it also shows the view from the interior CCTV.

They seem to be more of a North of England thing and only run on a selection of routes.

Cheshire introduced them in 2000 and they haven't really expanded and taken over on school routes but the ones introduced have been kept.

I think West Yorkshire was later on as they had a yellow school bus with big lettering saying 'School Bus Demonstration Project' in around 2005. First Huddersfield/Calderdale also painted some of their B reg double deckers in yellow and branded them as school buses around that time but didn't refurbish them with higher density seating, unlike what other operators have done.

First Hampshire did have some for a while as well, I think they were those Turkish BMC things. (o the irony. Do they still make Leylands in India?)



**

Dorset County Council has a few Scania/Irizar schoolbuses, basically the lower floor version of the regular coach painted yellow, but they put most school buses out to tender using regular ordinary Buses (Fist use Olympians, and Damory use all sorts of things including Olympians and regular coaches).

[BestWestern]

Originally Posted by jcollins

The original 3 Cheshire Bluebirds have V reg registration plates, so that gives away when they were registered.

Pretty sure the West Sussex batch were the 'pioneers' as it were, being on 'N' plates. Here's one preserved (!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markusgl1/2693510934/

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by BestWestern

Pretty sure the West Sussex batch were the 'pioneers' as it were, being on 'N' plates. Here's one preserved (!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markusgl1/2693510934/

When I said original Cheshire 3 I meant the first 3 to turn up in Cheshire. I mentioned them being V reg because it is more than just a few years when they were introduced. These are all used on services between Winsford and St Nicholas Catholic High School, which are routes under threat due to the council withdrawing faith school transport funding.

Expect passenger numbers to go through the roof at school start/end time on Crewe-Liverpool and Manchester-Chester via Altrincham train services as a result of this.

[BestWestern]

Originally Posted by jcollins

When I said original Cheshire 3 I meant the first 3 to turn up in Cheshire. I mentioned them being V reg because it is more than just a few years when they were introduced.

Well thank you for your comprehensive and mildly sarcastic explanation I was merely pointing out that I understand the West Sussex examples to have been the first to be used over here, I wasn't attempting to challenge your statement about the Cheshire trio.

Interesting that somebody has taken the trouble to preserve one of these beasties, I suppose they do represent a significant development in the UK bus scene.