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Parents in Western New York are raising the alarm about cold rides and vehicle breakdowns after officials approved that all school bus purchases must be electric by 2027.
Local station WIVB reported that the law drew the ire of parents in the Lake Shore Central School district. The station has received “many calls” about electric buses, with parents saying their children are cold when they come home from school.
According to WIVB, the district has 23 electric buses, 24 gasoline buses and four diesel buses.
“The heaters on the bus use the same electricity as the bus itself,” Scott Ziobro, a local parent, told WIVB. “They were told it was draining the battery capacity of the bus itself.”
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Some students from the Lake Shore Central School District (pictured) arrived cold as they boarded buses without working heat. (iStock / Stock)
Many parents told this newspaper that they have heard of at least one incident of broken buses, in addition to heating problems.
Chris Lampman, a concerned parent, said the bus “broke down on the road.”
“They sent another bus, the bus arrived more than 30 minutes later,” said Lampman. “My son stood outside for more than 35 minutes waiting for a bus that never came.”
“Some of those kids are sitting there for over half an hour or more while the bus is on its way,” he added. “There’s no reason children should be frozen all that time.”
Local grandmother Lynn Urbino told WIVB she was surprised when her grandson told her his bus was not lit.
Parents in western New York have reported heating problems and delays with newly approved electric school buses. (iStock / Stock)
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“My grandson came home from school last week when it was 23 degrees,” said Urbino. “He said they don’t heat it. He arrived in the cold, I told him, I said, ‘the bus isn’t heated? He said, ‘No, they can’t heat it because it drains the battery.’
Superintendent Phil Johnson told WIVB in a statement that he is aware of the complaints, and that the school district’s transportation procedures need to be tightened up.
“All the routes are planned in such a way that the battery capacity of the electric bus is more than enough to support the route and continuous heating, even in winter,” said Johnson. “The district values its transportation staff and continues to provide training and support to ensure that students and staff are transported safely.”
“We appreciate the efforts of our employees as we transition to electric buses as required by NYS,” the statement added.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority website states that electric school buses are able to keep the heat cool.
Concerned parents say electric buses struggle to keep children warm, especially during long winter journeys. (iStock / Stock)
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“Although the battery’s range may decrease in cold weather, it is still sufficient to complete operation on most local bus routes,” the website said, according to WIVB.
