Santa Cruz City Schools opts for RIDE The 30-passenger vehicles are in the process of being certified for service , but Frates said the district was drawn to the buses ’ unique platform and driver-friendly layout . “ When we ’ re dealing with special needs students , the design is critical ,” Frates said . “ Most electric vehicles ( EVs ) we encounter are designed as a chassis with a box added . So , we ’ ll often see an E-450 chassis , with a box added by the bus manufacturer . The driver is in a sort of doghouse , where it ’ s hard to spin around , get up , and work with the kids .” “ What I like about the RIDE bus is that it ’ s a nice flat platform you can walk up to ,” he continued . “ It is commercial grade and will be very advantageous for our drivers — as well as our students — because they ’ re up high and can see really well out of it .” Frates said the district was impressed that the Type A bus is configured for its drivers , who often need to exit their seat to help special needs children buckle up or to assist aides . “ We also found it interesting that the bus features a driver ’ s side door ,” he said . “ It ’ s unusual , but it ’ s really wonderful because it gives them a different way to enter and exit the bus . The driver controls are very straightforward , which is another great feature for our drivers .” Frates added that the vehicle has performed exceptionally during the district ’ s test drives thus far , including handling highway speeds well . The district often takes special-needs students to day classes at the elementary , middle , and high schools , as well as across the county – after which the buses turn around and return to the office . The transportation department also provides field trip service , and so the 30-passenger layout is a perfect fit for the district ’ s average classroom size . “ We ’ ll be able to ‘ run the wheels off ’ these buses by taking kids to school , doing the day trips for elementary , middle , and high school , and then transporting the kids back home in the afternoon ,” Frates said , indicating the buses will see high usage on the district ’ s fixed and special routes . “ We ’ re really looking forward to using these quite a bit .” Upon delivery of the first vehicle , RIDE deployed a trainer to Santa Cruz City Schools who spent six hours educating the
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