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New busses (Jonathan Klepping/jkleppinger@jessaminejournal.com / October 10, 2012) |
The Jessamine County Board of Education took its work session on the road Monday, beginning the meeting with a trip on one of the district’s five new buses.
The five new models — four Thomas transit-style buses and one conventional special-needs bus — are expected to be on the road soon.
The district had last purchased buses in 2008 when it bought 19 vehicles.
Jessamine County has 114 buses in its fleet and about 100 regular routes, transportation director Chris
Bellman told officials during a quick trip Monday from the Royse Administration Building to West Jessamine Middle School and back. The district’s oldest buses are five vehicles from 1998; it also owns five 1999 models and 16 buses from 2000.
Safety features on the buses include front and rear cameras that record video and sound. The Thomas buses are equipped to carry 78 passengers if three are in each seat, which Bellman said is rarely the case.
The law actually allows students to stand on buses while they’re in motion, but Bellman said he tells his drivers that if a student is standing up then something is wrong and to address the problem.
Board chairman Eugene Peel said after the ride that he was impressed with the features and precautions that
keep students safe even if an accident were to occur.
“I was on older buses,” Peel said. “I think on this bus with the safety features there are very few places that you can get hurt; they’re all padded.”
