I n Spain, more than 5,000 companies own the 47,000 vehicles used to transport students. Each has an assigned role within the field in providing transportation to the 17 autonomous districts nationwide.
Parents question student safety because of the dispersion of controlling interests.
Some districts control educational matters, in other districts, the state governs transportation decisions thus there is a general inability to ensure safe, quality transportation at minimal cost. The state has however, adopted two regulations intended on improving safety as regulated by the Royal Decree of 1983. The first requires school transporters to obtain an annual verification to ensure performance conditions are being respected while the second establishes requirements for drivers, their vehicles, and the conditions under which student transportation may take place. In dealing with passengers who are minors, transporters must not use vehicles over 18 years of age and after 10 years of use they must not be transferred to another transporter. Also, drivers who have a specified number of highway-code infractions are not allowed to drive a school bus.