China's School Buses Get Standardized

China’s government has decided to introduce a new law, which will bring all the primary school buses to an imposed safety standard, in order to keep the kids safe on their daily journey, as Xinhua reports.

The authorities define school buses as vehicles that are able to accommodate more than 10 children. This new set of standards is a premiere for China, as the country has never had a law for these type of public transportation. According to the Beijing News, it will require that all school buses are tagged. The design of the tag has already been chosen - it shows two pupils, each on one page of an open book.

In addition to that, all school buses will have to come equipped with individual seat belts (one for each child) and the vehicles must have at least one extra seat to accommodate the caretaker of the group.

Articulated and double-deck buses will not be eligible for school transport, as their architecture increases the risk of injury, thus representing a real threat for the children. As the safety of a journey also depends on the driver’s behavior, the upcoming standards will feature a device that will record key parameters of the drive, such as driving speed, journey time and mileage of the vehicle.

The new standards have been issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in cooperation with the Standardization Administration. They will be implemented starting from July 1.