Province Purchases New School Buses

Thousands of students across the province will be riding in new school buses next year.

The Department of Education has purchased 64 new school buses for the 2004-05 school year.

The buses will replace older vehicles as part of the province's school bus replacement policy. The policy recommends that buses be replaced every twelve and a half years.

"The safety of our students is one of our highest priorities," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "Regularly replacing older buses is one way we can ensure they're riding to and from school in safe, modern vehicles."

The total purchase price of just over $4.5-million includes four accessible buses for the physically challenged.

Nova Scotia purchases school buses in bulk through a joint venture with New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, saving the province a significant amount of money.

This year bulk purchasing was able to reduce the cost per bus by about $10,000, resulting in an overall saving to Nova Scotia taxpayers of about $640,000.

The buses will be distributed to school boards as follows:

• Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, 6;

• Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board, 10;

• Chignecto Central Regional School Board, 16;

• Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, 3;

• Southwest Regional School Board, 16;

• Strait Regional School Board, 13.

The total cost of the buses will be $4,527,511. They will be delivered by August 2004.