Roger, the laws here governing school bus transportation are strict and although there are minor variances between states they are pretty uniform. The state rules are in addition to the Federal law governing public school transport and serve to add additional safety regulations. Maintenance is monitored very closely and school systems can have funding lost for infractions.

The bus chassis are made by several manufacturers, but there are a limited number of bus builders who construct the actual bus. There used to be one a few miles from here on the Indiana border and it was a real sight to see acres and acres of buses in various stages of completion.....people used to call it "the bus farm." In any case, the builders all have specific safety equipment and the like that must be installed. The buses all must comply with Federal regulations.

I had no idea that the same was not the case in the UK.

Spaw