School Bus Types

Seven different school bus types exist that have been approved by the Federal government. Each bus serves a different purpose. Type A school buses are usually a conversion constructed upon a van-type vehicle that has a place for the driver on the left side. This type of bus usually carries more than ten people and can be broken up into A1 and A2. A1 weighs less than 10,000 pounds and the type A2 weighs more than 10,000 pounds. A type B bus weighs more than 10,000 pounds and carries more than ten people. The engine is usually beneath the windshield and besides the driver's seat. The entrance will often be placed behind the front wheels of the bus. The type C bus is larger and can carry more than ten people. One big difference is that the engine is completely in front of the windshield like a car. This is the conventional bus and the one that is most recognized by parents and students. The type D school bus is different because it can have the engine in front of the windshield, in the rear of the vehicle, or in the middle of the chassis. The door of the bus is usually in front of the front wheels. The multifunction school activity bus cannot be used for regular routes to pick up or drop off children. The bus is usually used to transport children to some other location such as from a school to a day care center. The multifunction school bus does not have the usual signs, flashing arms, or other safety devices. The bus still has to follow other safety standards but has a little more leeway from other rules. A school van is a normal van that has been converted to a full school bus. The roof may have to be cut off and a full roll cage welded on. After the conversion, the school bus drives like a regular van but now meets the Federal standards for school buses. An allowable alternative vehicle is one that meets the crashworthiness standards but may not look much like a school bus. Alternate vehicles are often used to transport children to Head Start programs. One of the last school bus types that the government has approved is the non-conforming van. This type of vehicle does not meet any of the requirements of the Federal standards and is a passenger van that can hold fifteen or more people. School bus types can vary from the small school bus to a very large school bus and finally to the bus that does not look like a bus at all. It just depends on what purpose the bus needs to serve. Each school bus type has its own function and can help serve different purposes of schoolchildren and the schools they attend.	SchoolBuses.info Manufacturers Types Safety Toy School Buses