Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-21
D. c. 10 Await
Move
On School Buses
Plan for Tighter
Restrictions Appears
Decd for Time Being
BY Hermon r. Sehoden

The hope for stronger laws
governing school bus safety In the
District rested today on any
similar action which the State
Of Maryland may take next
month.
This was the feeling after tho
Laws and Regulations COMMITTEES
Of the Commissioners Traffic ADJ
visory Board decided to table a
new set of proposed traffic regu-
lations aimed at bolstering safety
for child passengers.
Prepared by subcommittee in
more than 48 hours work. the
new regulations failed to receive
approval of Traffic Director
George E. Keneipp. who said
they were unduly discriminatory
and went beyond the scope he
had in mind when he asked the
group to study the need for
broader laws.
ONdSu Leu W 0SuOys
A study of safety laws here,
as well as in Maryland and Viz
ginia, was prompted by an acci-
dent in Montgomery County last
July in which a dilapidated day
camp bus went of the road. kill
ing one of IL passengers and
injuring many more.
Mr.. Keneipp. appearing before
the Traffic Board subcommittee
Monday. said he could not
recommend the proposed changes
to the Commissioners in their
present form
He did suggest that certain
regulations involving the over
crowding of vehicles and driver
requirements might be re-
written and strengthened.
II think there is room for
amending the present law on
overcrowding." Mr.. Keneipp told
The Star land that something
might be done about requiring
a special certificate for drivers
of small school buses"
He said he had those points
in mind when he asked for .
review of the traffic laws. ~
Adequate Protection.
Mr.. Keneipp said he went over
the proposed new regulations
with his staff and they felt the
District is now adequately pro-
tected. since about 80 per cent
Of the children ride in Capital
Transit buses and only 20 or Is
other vehicles were carrying
children. rs
Among the regulations pro-
posed by the subcommittee were
these:
/, A redefining Of school bus"
to mean any vehicle with a seat
ing capacity of seven or more
used for transporting children
under Is to and from schools.
camps. etc. .
2. Limitation of passengers In
any vehicle to two more than
rated capacity.
3. Painting of school buses
chrome yellow. with proper
school bus" signs, and equipped
with flashing red stop lights on
front and rear to be used only
when picking up and discharg-
ing passengers.
4. Inclusion of a fire extin-
guisher and first aid kit as
standard equipment on. the
buses.
S. Semiannual inspection Of
buses, a requirement that drivers
be at least Is years old and not
more than so, and an annual
medical report by drivers.
Objects to Lights.
Mr.. Keneipp said the bright
paint. markings and stop signs
on buses would be hazardous in
the city. He said buses were SO
designated to require other We
hicles to stop. which was within
reason OH certain rural roads.
but not in the city where traffic
pile-ups might occur.
It would be discriminatory to
require physical examination Of
drivers, to require certain signs.
lights and coloring of buses. and
inclusion of fire eXtinguishers
when Capital Transit buses are
specifically excluded from the
regulation. Mr.. Keneipp said.
At present, the law forbids
seating more than three people
in the front seat when they
might impede the driver or OBJ
struct his view. Mr., Keneipp
pointed out that the law might
be rewritten to prevent over
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