According to members of the board of North Penn School District, the 2024-25 budget will include another round of Autogas school buses that could be on the way for the upcoming school year. Currently, the district operates 83% of the daily runs with LPG.

“With those eight more coming, we’ll be at 89% for the 24-25 school year,” said Coordinator of Transportation Dennis Ryan. “We continue to strive to get 100% of those bus routes, to eventually be LPG-powered.”

So far for 2023-24, the district has consumed 320,000 gallons of LPG, 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 40,000 gallons of gasoline. “In recent years, we’ve been transitioning the fleet to Autogas, which means as the fleet has been transitioning, there has been more of a need for Autogas, compared to diesel,” Ryan noted.

He also explained that 47% of the district-owned bus fleet, including spares, are LPG-fuelled, a figure that could reach 56% in 2024-25. Moreover, counting only district-owned vehicles that run daily to pick up students brings the percentage to 67%, and adding in the 100% Autogas fleet of private carrier First Student brings the total up to 83% Autogas of vehicles on the road every day.

“What it all boils down to is, how many routes are on the road every day, delivering students? And they’re on the clean energy buses: we’re going to be at 89% come next year, which is a great thing,” Ryan added. “It’s a big savings on fuel and maintenance as well, so we’re looking to continue to make that transition.”

North Penn School District owns a total of 119 vehicles, covering 68 bus routes and 18 van routes, transporting 11,340 public school students per day, while contracting with private firms for an additional 34 vehicles to transport just over 1,500 non-public students each day.

Source: The Reporter Online

Photo: North Penn School District

10 April 2024