High Fuel Prices Mean a Hard Road for School Buses

High Fuel Prices Mean a Hard Road for School Buses
Schools across the U.S. are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Transcript of radio broadcast:
16 July 2008

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

High fuel prices are affecting all areas of life, including education.


The United States has an estimated four hundred seventy-five thousand school buses -- all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than twenty-five million children, half of all schoolchildren in the country.
But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged fifty-five cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and eight cents, by the end of school in June.

Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council, an industry coalition. He says fuel prices negotiated for schools are not much lower than others have to pay.

As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. And a few places are investigating hybrid fuel-electric technology.

Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.

Most states require bus transportation through high school for public school students who need it. Massachusetts requires it only for elementary school. And schools can charge to ride the bus. State education officials say some districts may begin to do that, or raise existing fees.

Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council say cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus service might reduce attendance.

But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution.

The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.

Next week, we'll talk about other ways that schools and students are reacting to the prices.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

----------------------------Google Translate

高企的油价意味着艰难的道路，为学校巴士
各地的学校，美国正在寻找新途径，以减少运输费用。全文电台广播：
2008年7月16日

这是美国之音特别英语教育的报告。

高燃油价格是影响生活的各个领域，包括教育在内。


美国估计有475000学校巴士-所有画的黄色。每一天，他们运载多于2500.0万儿童，有一半的中小学生在该国。
但这些巴士，平均来说，使用四升柴油燃料旅行少于十六公里。当新学年开始，去年秋天，柴油平均55美分，升国家。价格几乎增加了一倍，以一美元和8美分，到去年底，学校在6月。

鲍勃莱利说，为美国学校巴士会，一业联盟。他说，燃油价格的谈判，为学校并不远低于其他国家要付出。

因此，学校正在寻找新途径，以减少运输费用。巴士路线，现正重新划定或在某些情况下，取消了。有些地方购买的巴士使用天然气或其他替代燃料。和少数地方现正调查混合燃料电动技术。

其他措施包括减少实地考察和减少旅行的体育队。一些学校和地区可能月底任何巴士服务，无须由法律规定。

大多数国家规定的巴士运输通过高中为公立学校的学生谁需要它。马萨诸塞州要求它只有小学。和学校可收取乘坐巴士。国家的教育官员说，有些地区可能会开始要做到这一点，或提高现行的收费。

研究表明，学校巴士是最安全的形式，交通和上学。美国学校的巴士会说，在削减巴士服务是不好的儿童和可能的环境。它说，消除巴士从道路将意味着增加在其他车辆运送学生。发言人鲍勃莱利说，另一个令人关注的是，减少巴士服务可能会减低出席。

但它也可以得到更多的儿童，以步行或骑车上学。这将肯定使人们乐于在国家安全为中心的路线上学。更多的孩子们步行或骑自行车安全是学校的目的，一个3岁的联邦计划的一个组成部分的国际运动。目标是增加体力活动和减少空气污染。

美国将庆祝步行到学校天于十月第八今年。但对于一些学生，高燃油价格，可以使每天散步到学校天。

下星期，我们将谈论其他的方式以学校和学生的反应价格。

这是该美国之音特别英语教育的报告，写的南希斯坦巴克。我史蒂夫ember 。