School Bus Fleet, 2015 FactBook

20 SCHOOL BUS FLEET glossary OSEP Office of Special Education Programs an agency of the U S Department of Education OSERS Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services an agency of the U S Department of Education OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration an agency of the U S Department of Labor OTETA The Omnibus Transportation Employees Testing Act of 1991 requiring drivers holding CDLs to participate in a drug and alcohol testing program Out of service The removal of a school bus from passenger service due to a defective condition Overall vehicle width The nominal design dimension of the widest part of the vehicle exclusive of signal lamps marker lamps outside rearview mirrors flexible fender extensions and mud flaps determined with the doors and windows closed and the wheels in the straight ahead position Overhang The distance from the center of the rear axle to the rearmost end of the body or from the center of the front axle to the forward edge of the front bumper P PA system A public address system that allows the driver of a bus to communicate with persons inside and or outside the bus through a speaker installed on the inside and or outside of the bus also known as external loudspeaker Parallel restraint system A system in which the occupant restraint lap belt anchors directly to the floor track or plates and that is independent of the wheelchair mobility aid securement system Paratransit Public transit service that is more flexible than a fixed route system commonly providing special service for elderly and disabled passengers Part B Refers to the section of IDEA 20 USC 1400 et seq applicable to special education and related services for children with disabilities and to the implementing regulations at 34 CFR 300 Part HC Refers to the section of IDEA related to early intervention services for infants and toddlers and to the implementing regulations at 34 CFR 303 Formerly referred to as Part H Particulate trap A device on diesel buses to clean the exhaust of particulate matter See also DPF Passenger A person who rides in a school bus but does not operate it See also occupant Passenger compartment Space within the school bus interior measured from a point 30 inches ahead of the forward most passenger seating reference point SRP rearward to the inside surface of the rear end of the bus at the center of the rear emergency exit Passenger Endorsement A designation P on a CDL that indicates the driver is qualified to drive a commercial passenger vehicle Must accompany an S endorsement operations of any such vehicle on either a for hire or a not for hire basis MPV Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle any vehicle with a seating capacity of 10 or fewer including the driver that is built on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off road use MVR Motor Vehicle Record of the driver also known as driving history N NAPT National Association for Pupil Transportation a membership organization comprising individuals and organizations representing all facets of school transportation NASDPTS National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services a membership organization comprising primarily state officials responsible for student transportation National School Bus Yellow The color defined in the publication National School Bus Color Standard SBMTC 008 NDR National Driver Registry Neutral safety switch A device that prevents the bus from starting unless the transmission is in neutral gear or the clutch is depressed NGV Natural gas vehicle NSTSP National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures a publication of the National Congress on School Transportation NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration an agency of the U S Department of Transportation NOx Oxides of nitrogen a regulated diesel emission which is a collective term for gaseous emissions composed of nitrogen and oxygen Non conforming van A vehicle smaller than a bus designed to carry seven to 10 passengers and used to transport students that does not meet FMVSS for school buses NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking a notice published in the Federal Register by a federal agency of a proposed change in regulation NSTA National School Transportation Association a membership organization comprising primarily school transportation contractor companies NTSB National Transportation Safety Board an independent federal agency authorized by Congress to investigate accidents and to issue safety recommendations O Occupant A person who occupies space inside a school bus refers to both passenger and driver OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer On board monitoring system Computerized tracking of driver and vehicle performance including speed fuel consumption etc See also EOBR Operating costs All costs associated with running a transportation system that are distinct from capital costs Operator The carrier responsible for running the transportation system regardless of ownership of the vehicle Low bid procurement Competitive procedure in which the lowest bidder is awarded the contract See also performance based procurement Low floor vehicle A bus in which the floor and entrance are closer to the ground for easier access by students with disabilities or pre schoolers LPG Liquefied petroleum gas also known as propane LRE Least Restrictive Environment a concept embodied in IDEA that requires that children with disabilities be integrated as fully as possible into situations and settings with their non disabled peers M Mainstreaming See inclusion Medically fragile Refers to students who require specialized technological health care procedures for life support and or health support MFSAB See Multifunction School Activity Bus under bus Minibus A small school bus usually a Type A1 or A2 or Type B1 or B2 Minivan An MPV designed to carry seven to 10 passengers Mirrors The system of mirrors required to be installed on school buses in accordance with FMVSS No 111 and applicable state laws Crossview Convex mirrors mounted on the front of the school bus and designed for student detection during loading and unloading also known as System B mirrors and including elliptical quadri spherical banana or standard convex mirrors Driving Flat and convex mirrors mounted on each side of the bus designed for viewing the road along the sides to the rear while driving also known as rearview double nickel west coast or System A mirrors Mobility aid A wheelchair walker crutch cane or other device that is used to support and help convey a person with a physical disability Mobile seating device A mobility aid designed to support a person in the seated position Modesty panel A panel located in front of a seat or row of seats to preserve the modesty of the passengers usually supported by a stanchion and cross bar and not meeting the performance standards of a barrier as defined in FMVSS No 222 Also a short panel that extends from the bottom of a barrier to or near to the floor for the purpose of reducing the draft from the entrance door also known as kick panel Monitor A person assigned to assist the driver on a school bus or school vehicle See also attendant Discipline A monitor whose primary responsibility is to control behavior of students in the bus Safety A monitor whose primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of students getting on and off the bus and to check the loading zone before the driver pulls out Motor carrier or carrier The registered owner lessee licensee or bailee of any vehicle who operates or directs the Intermediate manufacturer A person other than the incomplete vehicle manufacturer or the final stage manufacturer who performs manufacturing operations on an incomplete vehicle International symbol of accessibility A white emblem on blue background used to indicate that a vehicle can accommodate individuals with disabilities ITP Individualized Transportation Plan a plan established to transport a student with a defined disability L Lap belt A Type 1 belt assembly meeting the requirements of FMVSS No 209 and intended to limit movement of the pelvis Lap shoulder belt A Type 2 belt assembly meeting the requirements of FMVSS No 209 and intended to limit the movement of the pelvis and upper torso Lap tray An accessory for a wheelchair or other mobile seating device to offer support and convenience for the occupant LATCH system Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system Incorporates standardized hardware in vehicle seats including the lower anchorages and the upper tether anchorage It is designed to allow installation of CSRS without using the vehicles seat belt system All CSRS sold in the U S after 2002 are required to be LATCH compatible Late bus A bus scheduled to leave school at a time subsequent to the end of the school day usually to provide transportation for students involved in after school activities Layover time Time built into a trip schedule between arrival and departure LEA Local Education Agency LED Light emitting diode an electronic semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it LEDs are commonly used in lamps and digital displays Left Left position is determined from the normal driving position as seated in the drivers seat looking in the direction of forward travel Liability insurance Protection against the claims of others for injury or property damage also known as casualty insurance Life cycle procurement A procurement contract based on both the initial capital cost and the cost of operation over the life of a vehicle intended to identify the most cost effective time to replace an asset Lift See power lift Live time The time when students are in the bus beginning when the first passenger boards and ending when the last passenger leaves LNG Liquefied natural gas Load To pick up students at a designated bus stop or at school Load factor The ratio of passengers actually carried to the vehicles passenger capacity Loading zone Any area where students are boarding or leaving a school bus