Maryland’s First Propane Bus Arrives in Anne Arundel County

“With the rising costs of diesel maintenance and our interest in incorporating green technologies, it was time to explore our options,” said Randall Jubb, president of Jubb’s Bus Service. “We are the first contractor in Maryland to offer a school bus fueled by emissions-reducing propane autogas to an area school district—and we have plans to transition 20% of our fleet to autogas in the future.”

Mid-Atlantic propane retailer Sharp Energy (Georgetown, Del.) installed an onsite autogas fueling station with 1000-gal. capacity. The infrastructure can expand to 4000 as fuel needs increase. “We are proud to partner with a forward-thinking company like Jubb’s bus Service Inc.,” said Brian Carney, group account director for Roush CleanTech. “They’re joining over 500 other school districts nationwide experiencing the benefits of propane autogas technology—lowering operating costs, maintenance costs, and emissions.” The autogas bus will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 1200 pounds a year and more than 30 pounds of particulate matter annually compared to the diesel bus it replaced. Autogas also reduces hydrocarbon emissions and virtually eliminates particulate matter compared with conventionally fueled vehicles.

“Blue Bird provides school bus contractors with innovative and cost-effective green transportation solutions for their school district customers,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corp. (Fort Valley, Ga.). “Through its research, Jubb’s Bus Service Inc. decided that Blue Bird’s Vision propane school bus is the best choice for reducing fuel and maintenance costs while providing cleaner air for the community.”