Living Sky School Division capitalized on a good deal when they purchased bigger, better buses.
Ray Kopera, chief financial officer, said the 46-passenger buses became available for less than the cost of 36-passenger buses. He explained the buses, last year's model, were offered at a reduced price after changes to the emissions guidelines in the United States, where the buses were purchased.
Not wanting to pass up a good deal, LSSD purchased nine 46-passenger buses, as well as three 54-passenger buses and one 66-passenger bus, for a total price of just over $1 million.
"We needed those bigger buses," said Kopera. "Some of our routes are quite long."
Kopera said the larger buses come with a number of benefits, including added seat railings, reduced blind spots, more ground clearance and even cost savings.
"It's cheaper to run a 46-passenger bus," said Kopera.
Over a 10-year period, the cost of buses, including fuel, repairs, and capital expenditure, are as follows: 80 cents per kilometer for 23-passenger buses, 81 cents/km for 36-passenger, 73 cents/km for 46-passenger, 72 cents/km for 54-passenger and 80 cents/km for 66-passenger buses.
Kopera said the fuel costs are relatively similar, especially since the larger buses are used in rural areas where they make fewer stops, compared to the smaller buses used in the city and town.
"Stop-and-go uses a lot of fuel," said Kopera.
The main difference is in the cost of repairs, explained Kopera, as the bigger buses tend to need fewer repairs.
Currently, the biggest buses used by LSSD are 72-passenger buses, of which they have two.
