Working Together for Cleaner Air
Clean School Bus
What You Can Do
Everyone has a role in reducing emissions from school buses.
School Officials
- Establish idle reduction policies
- Work with bus companies to ensure idle reduction policies are adopted
- Minimize the time that children spend outside when school buses are arriving or departing
- Deploy cleanest buses on longest routes
- If possible, shorten commute times for children
- Discourage drivers from following directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke
- Post no-idling signs on school grounds
- Provide a space inside the school where drivers can wait on cold days
- Limit idling of delivery vehicles on school grounds
- Develop educational programs for students about air pollution
Bus Owners / Operators
- Adopt idle reduction policies
- Educate drivers and recognize drivers that reduce idling time
- Keep buses well maintained
- Take steps to retrofit existing buses with pollution controls and idle reduction devices
- Replace the oldest buses with newer, cleaner buses
- Discourage drivers from following directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke
Bus Drivers
- Follow idle reduction guidelines established by school officials and/or bus owners
- When standing, turn off the school bus engine
- Avoid driving directly behind large vehicles or school buses, especially if they are emitting visible smoke
Parents
- Talk with school officials about establishing idle reduction programs
- Talk with school transportation providers about establishing idle reduction programs
- Do not idle your personal vehicle
Students
- Talk with school officials about reducing school bus idling
- Talk with bus drivers about idle reduction
- Help school officials make and post no-idling signs