Since the first all-steel school bus was introduced in the 1930s, school buses have been familiar sights on the road.
Today, school buses transport around 26 million students to and from school each day. School buses serve well, not only to the students and their families but also to the entire community. Here are the many ways that school bus services are beneficial to their communities:
- School buses reduce traffic – One school bus can transport the same number of passengers as 36 cars. More than half of the 50 million children going to school every day take the school bus, which helps reduce traffic by keeping more than 17 million cars off the road each year. There’s a bigger chance of getting stuck in longer hours of gridlock traffic during rush hour without school buses.
- School buses reduce pollution – Since school buses save around 62 billion miles of driving every year, they also provide environmental benefits. School buses prevent more than 56.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the environment each year. That’s a lot more CO2 than a Boeing 747 jet could release in a century-long flight. The environmental benefits that school buses provide are even getting better with a significant increase in student population and school buses becoming a lot cleaner.
- School buses are accessible to students – Not every family owns a car, and school buses are the only available means of getting to and from school for most students. In addition, many school buses today have become disabled-friendly. They have special features (motorized lifts, etc.) for people with handicaps, disabilities, or special needs.
- School buses provide economic benefits – If parents are convinced that it’s more practical to drive their children to and from school, think again. The truth is the opposite – parents can enjoy more economic benefits if they allow their kids to take the school bus. One of the reasons it’s more sensible for the kids to take the school bus is the increase in oil and gas prices. Having your children take the bus every school day will allow you to save money from the gas you will spend if you drive them to and from school every day. Use that money to buy essential things and even save it for emergencies. Or you may also use that money to treat your kids by taking them out for the weekend (as a reward when they do well in school).
- Taking the school bus is safe – If parents also believe that their kids will feel safe if they drive them to and from school, schools establish bus systems to increase the likelihood of safety among children going to and from school. School buses are specifically designed with the safety of their young passengers in mind. Additionally, school buses follow a specific route established by the school district, so there’s less chance of encountering vehicular accidents. There has been news of teenagers dying or getting seriously injured in car accidents, and most of these youngsters are inexperienced in driving. Even schoolchildren taking a bike or just walking to and from school can also risk getting injured or having a vehicle hit them. As a parent, you will feel more confident that your children will be in safe hands when they take the school bus every day. They will arrive at school safe, on time, and ready to learn.
School buses save a lot of money, the environment, and hundreds and thousands of lives each year. They are an essential bridge to your children’s academic success. This only shows that school bus services benefit everyone in the community, apart from the students and their families they serve.
You can read How PA School Bus Drivers Serve as Community Leaders if you’d like to know more.
Are you interested in becoming an essential part of your community by becoming a school bus driver? Check out https://schoolbushero.com/jobs for school driver career opportunities now!