The Durham School Services has unveiled 54 new LPG-powered school buses and the goal is to add 140 of these buses to the fleet by the end of the year. The decision was made and worked into the budget two years ago in partnership with Washington-based Spokane Public Schools.

According to Santos Picacio, the general manger for Durham School Services in Spokane, the new buses will provide more environmentally-friendly transportation options for students, particularly servicing the district’s special-needs bus routes.

“Autogas buses are safer than traditional diesel-powered buses because the flash point for LPG is significantly higher,” he commented, and added that these are also much quieter, thus offering an option for special needs students who are easily overstimulated.

“Spokane is leading the charge in eco-friendly school bus transportation, and I hope the choice will inspire other cities to make a change,” explained Picacio.

Michael Warnecke, the transportation specialist for Spokane Public Schools, said that he is grateful for the district’s partnership with Durham School Services, and that “it will be nice to see a lot less of a carbon footprint.”

Picacio said that 25% of Durham’s fleet will be powered by Autogas by next school year, and the company will use an 18,000 gallon onsite LPG tank to fuel the buses. Durham School Services transports nearly 7,000 Spokane Public Schools students more than 9,000 miles every school day. For more information, please check this link.

24 April 2019