Hammond Replaces Diesel School Buses with Autogas

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Twenty new school buses fueled by cleanburning, less-expensive propane autogas began operation with the new school year in Canada’s Parry Sound area on routes operated by Hammond Transportation (Bracebridge, Ont.). Family-owned Hammond has served Ontario’s school bus, charter bus, and motor coach needs in the Muskoka, Parry Sound, Simcoe, Haliburton, and Algonquin areas since 1944. The company began providing school bus services to the West Parry Sound Board of Education in 1979 and now operates 32 bus routes in the area for the Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Service.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing a cleaner riding environment for students, and reducing maintenance costs for each bus were all reasons cited by Hammond Transportation for the purchase of the autogas school buses. Hammond purchased the buses from Girardin Blue Bird of Brantford. Each bus is equipped with a Roush CleanTech (Livonia, Mich.) propane fuel system. The buses can be identified by a distinctive green Blue Bird logo on the roof.

“This is a bit of a pilot project for us,” noted Greg Hammond, CEO of Hammond Transportation. “We have done a lot of research on this project and we are confident that the propane buses won’t cost us more in the long run. We know that these buses will be better for the environment both short- and long-term. They really make sense on every level for us.” Hammond added that there are some additional upfront costs for the alternative fuel buses, including the cost of propane conversion, installation of the fuel system, driver training, and additional training and licensing requirements for mechanics. Further, Hammond Transportation will fuel all of its propane buses at its Parry Sound bus depot after installing an on-site autogas fueling station.

In recent years, diesel buses have seen dramatic improvements in lowering emissions, but Hammond stated that, “We see the propane buses as the next step in environmentally friendly transportation.” Some of the benefits of the autogas buses are that propane is sourced in Canada, further reducing dependence on foreign oil, and the engines are 50% quieter than diesel engines. They also offer cold-weather start performance with no heating of the engine or fuel additives required. Blue Bird buses start in temperatures as low as minus 40°F so they save on electricity because they don’t require block heaters plugged in. “In the United States, there are many, many school boards that are converting to propane autogas,” commented Dan Petruccelli, regional account manager for Girardin Blue Bird. “We’re hoping that will happen here in Ontario as well.”

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