New fleet of Danbury school buses fueled by propane
A fleet of 80 new school buses – running clean and quiet – will hit the streets just in time for the first day of school on Sept. 5.
The buses replace the ones the district has used for the past 10 years. Beside a slightly different look, the new school buses run on propane rather than diesel; the benefits include that they run quieter and release less carbon dioxide than their predecessors. They also heat up faster and start with no issue in subzero temperatures. The buses are leased at $60,000 per bus from Student Transportation of America, which represents the entire cost of operating the bus including the driver.
“We will save money on fuel,” said district finance director Joseph Martino. “We are projecting a fuel savings of $50,000 to 75,000 in the first year.”
The buses will fuel up from a storage cell at the new bus depot on Triangle Street.
In addition to a fresh new look and cleaner ride, the buses will each be equipped with four cameras.