Not too many years back, I got a good deal on a new 12 passenger, one-ton, Chevrolet van, that carried a "rating-plate" with the notation "12 Passenger Bus, NOT A SCHOOL BUS." The distinguishing feature was that the rear doors could not be opened from the inside - a requirement then under Federal regulations for school buses.

Based on the paint scheme, I assumed that my good deal was the result of an order by a local motel chain, who then refused to take the vehicle - and left the dealer stuck with a rather ugly truck. I took out 8 of the 10 removable seats and had a good "heavy hauler."

"Fleet Operators" who contract with school districts to run school bus services tend to buy similar vehicles from a few manufacturers, and they all tend to look much alike. There is nothing, however, preventing them from buying suitably equipped vehicles from any source. There is much more variation in the equipment used by smaller (usually private) schools.

So far as I know, it is illegal in all states to pass a school bus that is stopped for loading and unloading, but this was a matter of individual state - not federal - law (although this may have changed recently). For smaller buses, this means "if lights are flashing," although most fleet buses have an additional "swing-out stop sign" to show that they are actually loading. (In some states, a bus with the swing-out sign can park with lights flashing, and can be legally passed, unless the "loading/stop" sign is also displayed. This avoids holding up traffic while the bus waits for those kids whose mom [or daddy] overslept. But you have to know the local rules - fines can be enormous.)

Many local jurisdictions, and perhaps some states, require a "front view mirror" that permits the driver to see the ground within about a foot of the front bumper - a response to a few kids who've been smashed when they tried to cross the street in front of the bus and were too short to be seen. Some jurisdictions permit a "sweeper bar" attachment, in lieu of or in addition to the front mirror, that can be swung out when the bus stops and that blocks the kids from (or whacks them out of) any forward area not visible to the driver.

Some states, and many local jurisdictions, impose specific rules on anyone transporting more than (fill in a number) children not in the same family. Typical are that the driver must be a parent and/or over a certain age - your teenage kid can't drive a group on a field trip; you must have minimum liability insurance - typically in the $100,000 and higher ranges; and you must have a seat for each passenger - for starters.

All of these regulations are commonly violated - most frequently by Churches and Scout (or similar) groups.

John