Roanoke County Schools expects to save money with new propane bus program

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ROANOKE COUNTY (WSLS 10) - The Roanoke County School Division reaches a milestone as it launches the first propane bus operation in the area. Wednesday, the district unveiled nearly two-years of hard work to watch this effort come into fruition. In time, this new fleet of environmentally friendly buses will save the schools money.

With 10 new propane buses -- more than 1,000 students will soon ride on this fleet. After a trial run Tuesday, now the fleet will be travelling the school route to pick up children in the Glenvar area.

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After studying similar propane bus programs in bigger cities like Richmond and Chesterfield County, it's a first of its kind for southwest Virginia.

"From an emissions standpoint, based on statistics it will emit or produce about 22 percent less emissions compared to a diesel powered bus," said President of Carter Machinery Company John Batzel.

It means less smog to pollute the environment.

"This is a new generation of quieter, safer buses," said David Wymer, chairman of the Roanoke County School Board. "They are more fuel efficient which means we are going to spend less money."

It's a hefty startup cost, each propane bus rings in at $100,000 compared to a $90,000 diesel bus. With propane school officials said they get more fuel for their buck. It costs five grand to operate a propane bus each year, for diesel it's more than double that. The district said they expect to make a return on investment within two-years.

"It comes out of our general budget which means you know, if we're spending less on transportation, we can spend more on other thing: construction and teacher salaries," added Wymer.