School Bus Rules and Regulations in Netherlands

In 1991 the Dutch Ministry of Transport introduced a policy for school-going students known as the student pass. Since the implementation of the student pass, Dutch students have been benefitting from free transport.

The student pass allows students to board any public or private bus, any day of the week. Student passes were cheaper to administer and much more straightforward than older transport allowance schemes.

The Dutch are always looking to try new transport innovations — one such innovation was the bicycle school bus.

Nearly half of the Dutch population uses a bicycle for daily transportation, and implementing the student bicycle bus was a way to redesign the classic school bus concept around greener mass transit.

Even though such innovations have made an impact, there are still schools that use traditional school buses to safely transport students daily. These school fleets are required to meet certain standards approved by the Dutch Ministry of Transport.

School Bus Requirements

Visual Signs

• Red light-emitting flashers (2 each) should be mounted on the front and rear of the school bus.
• “STOP WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASHING” and “DO NOT PASS WHEN SIGNALS FLASHING” signs must be displayed on the rear of the bus in black lettering, at least 75 millimetres in height, and not below 15 centimetres from the top.

Bus Colour

• If a bus's sole purpose is to transport school-going students, the fleet should be painted chrome yellow or an approved bus yellow. Buses other than school fleets should not be painted yellow, and these yellow buses should only be used for transporting students.

Fire Extinguisher

• Each school bus should be fitted with an extinguisher rated above 2A-10BC of a design type approved by U.L.C, U.L, or F.M., placed in a manner accessible near the driver's compartment.

First Aid Kits

A First Aid kit, labelled with instructions on how to use the contents, should be kept inside the bus in either a metal case or a pillow-type case near the driver's compartment. The First Aid Kit should consist of the following:

A packet of 4 containing 12 gauze cleansing pads and 4 cleansing wipes.

• Individually wrapped: 100 adhesive dressings, 6 compress dressings (10 centimetre) and 8 compress dressings (5 centimetre).
• Dressing kits of two containing 2 gauze pads, 1 eye shield, 2 gauze bandages, and 3 gauze bandages.
• Kept in packets: 1 adhesive tape, 6 triangular bandages, one pair of scissors, 6 safety pins, 12 triangular splints.

Doors & Windows

• The doorway should be positioned at the front of the school bus, in a manner accessible from both inside and outside the vehicle with ease.
• The door of a school bus should be designed so it can be controlled by the bus driver from a safe distance, in case of an accidental opening.
• Emergency exits should be located at the rear or left side of the vehicle, fitted with a fastening device for quick release but safeguarded against unexpected openings.
• Windows should be fitted with crash rails and should not be tinted.
• The entrance, emergency exits and the passageway of the school bus should maintain at least 30cm of clearance space.
• Every school bus should display a notice, authorized by the Minister of Education, at the entrance, giving instructions to students on the conduct expected of them while boarding, departing and riding on the bus.

Stop Arms

• A stop arm with flashing lights must be fitted on the driver's side of the bus; while the stop arm is activated, no vehicle should pass or overtake the halted bus.

School Bus Body

• The school bus body should be constructed in a manner that ensures proper and adequate ventilation.
• The floor partition between the bus body and the engine compartment should be properly insulated and constructed so that exhaust gases cannot enter the interior of the bus.
• The school bus interior should be free of every unwanted projection that is hazardous to students. The interior should consist only of luggage racks and handrails.
• Luggage racks should be used only to carry students' bags and study material; other objects likely to injure students should not be carried.
• The bus interior should be fully lit with illumination lights.

Duties and Driving Behaviours

• School bus drivers are in complete charge of the students while on board. If a student is found consistently disrupting the conduct of the bus, the school bus driver can refuse the transportation service to that student.
• School bus drivers should always follow traffic rules in school neighbourhoods and city regions. If drivers are found engaging in dangerous driving, their driving licence can be effectively revoked.
• School bus drivers are in charge of bus maintenance and parking. They are responsible for keeping the vehicle safely roadworthy so that students can be conveyed safely each day.

When school buses meet the requirements established by the Dutch Ministry of Transport, they provide safe and efficient transportation for students every day.