Until this week, Pennsylvania has been one of 5 states to limit bus sizes to 40 feet, rather than the 45 feet accepted throughout most of the country. That changed on Tuesday when Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed Senate Bill 1312 into law, amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to permit school buses up to 45 feet in length.
Sen. Elder Vogel introduced the legislation in an effort to give school districts and school bus contractors the option to choose the most appropriate buses for their purpose. Vogel also called the current state law limiting school buses to 40 feet in length “arbitrary”, noting that other types of no-school buses are legal in lengths up to 45 feet.
“Manufacturers are selling buses in lengths between 40 and 45 feet in other states, but our school districts and their contractors have been prohibited from using them in Pennsylvania,” Vogel said. “By allowing school districts and school bus contractors to purchase longer buses, they will be able to better control their costs by streamlining routes. Furthermore, it will allow school districts and contractors to choose from among the full selection of vehicles available with the latest technology and safety features to best meet the needs of their districts.”
For a regulatory change, this is a rare example of rule changes that actually open options rather than limit them. Buses of different size are most efficient when used for appropriate purposes. Large school districts may benefit from the ability to move more students in individual buses, while small districts may still find use for a 45 feet bus for sports or other extracurricular activities.
