School buses are the nation’s largest single form of mass transportation. But during the coronavirus pandemic, the C.D.C. recommends they operate at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing.
One New Jersey district has decreased average capacity to 22 students from 54, but says it won’t need to hire many more buses because more parents are driving their kids to school. The district, like others, made several other modifications:
- X’s mark off seats, so kids know where not to sit.
- Open windows will keep air moving.
- The drivers store cleaning products in the seat behind the wheel.
- Students load the bus back to front, and get off front to back, to maintain social distancing.
- Unless students ride with a sibling, they can’t have a seatmate.
