A new initiative by the UCP government will allow school boards to purchase buses and extend transportation services to more Alberta students. .The UCP government said on Friday to improve the student transportation system, up to $20 million in future funding is now available to school boards that manage their own student transportation fleets..These funds are expected to support the purchase of up to 115 new buses..“Alberta’s conservative government is taking real and practical steps to help more students find transportation," Alberta Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides said.."By advancing these funds, several school divisions will be able to purchase more buses sooner and help get more kids to school. This will help increase the number of kids taking school buses, reduce ride times and save Alberta families money.”.The school bus advance funding program is part of a larger set of actions the UCP government said it is taking to improve the student transportation system..Budget 2023 increases student transportation funding by $414 million over the next three years to accommodate system improvements.."The one-year initiative is set up as an accelerated program, which brings forward provincial funding from future years, so it can be spent now when it is needed," the UCP government said.."Recipients will see the advanced payment reflected in future funding allocations, spread out over 10 years.".Funding increases will allow school boards to add additional bus routes to support increased ridership due to transportation eligibility criteria changes that come into effect on Sept. 1..According to the UCP government, these changes will mean an additional 80,000 students will become eligible for school transportation services. Of these students, 47,000 who currently pay transportation fees will become eligible for provincial coverage, saving parents and families more than $20 million..New school buses are expected to cost about $170,000 each and 24 of 63 school boards (38%) partially or fully operate their own school bus fleet and may be eligible for the advanced funding to purchase school buses..School boards that are interested in accessing the funding should submit their application as soon as they have confirmed their bus purchase plans..Applications will be processed by the department as they are received. The application deadline is October 31.
