New buses at Gadsden City Schools will provide safety, technology and comfort

GADSDEN, Ala. (WBRC) - A cooler ride this year for students in Gadsden City Schools as they start back to class.

The school board used $1 million leftover from Alabama’s Advancement and Technology Fund to buy new buses to help keep your children safe.

Elizabeth Infante is in charge of the new fleet of school buses in Gadsden. She said the new buses were needed, and she’s happy they include safety, technology and comfort for students.

“We don’t have that many complaints from kids and staff and drivers. They like it, they say it’s like driving a Cadillac,” said Infante.

That’s how Gadsden City school bus drivers feel about their new fleet of buses. Reginald Thomas has been a driver for many years and trains the new drivers. He said he’s never driven buses with A/C.

“We don’t burn up like we used to and that’s so much better, and the safety of the kids, that’s so important because that’s the main thing is getting the kids to school on time and back home safely,” said Thomas.

Safety features include an intercom system so kids can hear the driver at all times, GPS tracking, and cameras to monitor the driver’s speed.

Thomas said there’s one safety feature on the bus that often gets overlooked.

“Our seats are high enough to protect the kids in the event of a sudden stop. We’ve got high backs to these seats and that will help protect the kids,” said Thomas.

Upgrading the fleet and providing better safety to students and drivers. Infante said sports teams, bands, and cheerleaders can now plan longer trips.

“When they go on long trips like two-hour trips like band trips. They come back; it’s hot. Now they’ll be enjoying A/C on it. They’ve already spent time out in the field in the hot, so they’ll come back and they’ll be refreshed,” said Infante.

Thomas said with school starting next week, he and the other drivers are still learning every feature on these new buses to make sure your kids stay safe.

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