Semi Bus

In the Western Outer Region, a **Semi Bus** refers to any ex-school bus or city bus from North Yoshi America, particularly the Yoshi States and more often Desert Island, the latter of which has a fixed limit that only allows school buses and city buses to be used for a maximum of fifteen years. In which case, it means any school bus or transit bus made before 2008 must retire after the 2022 - 2023 school year ends. Semi buses are most commonly used in countries such as Neopalita, Asauna, Tikal Island, Kelly Island, Valentine and Lepps Island, where these buses play a major role in these nations' tourism industries.

Various private companies throughout the islands purchase these buses most often from Desert Island due to it being easier due to the Yoshi States's customs laws and taxes associated with shipping them on the seas. Once the load of buses arrives to the buying party, the buses receive major renovations, including larger engines sourced from semi-trucks, 18 speed manual stick shift transmissions, beefier brakes, brighter LED lights, and interior upgrades such as Kenwood speakers and better interior lighting. The bus body is re-constructed, and the front end gets a major change, with the hood often being sourced from a big rig (e.g., freightliner, kenworth, peterbilt, etc.,), though sometimes the front end is retained, if in good enough condition. Jake brakes are also often added to these buses considering that they are used for long distance travel and sometimes they may even pull bus trailers, which themselves are also derived from retired school buses. Some common amenities include overhead storage racks, reading lights, contoured seating, and flat screen TVs throughout the bus. The buses also receive bright colored paint and/or neon paint, and they often get graffiti embedded on them for styling, though in three of these countries (Neopalita, Tikal Island, and Kelly Island), this has become illegal as it is considered vulgar and a violation of public order. In Lepps Island, these buses are also transported by ferry to and from New Austria, and they are used routinely for transportation on both the main island and the smaller territory.

Some buses also exist in Layers Island and Leland, as well as Kiwi Island, Sorbet Island, Tangalu, and Sandy Island, though some of these countries have different ways of this. In Layers Island, school bus-based buses are called Pirate Buses, because they are banned by the government for being potentially too dangerous to be driven on the roads, and they ask for citizens to ride their transit buses instead as they are safer and cleaner.

## By Country

### Desert Island

Under national law, school and city buses can only be used for a maximum of 15 years, which means that any school bus made before the model year 2008 must retire after the 2022 - 2023 academic year, and the minimum they can be used is ten years. A majority of these buses are imported to the rest of the Western Outer Region, including all of the Western Outer Union, as well as Sorbet Island, Tangalu, and Sandy Island, where they are used as long-distance transit buses. Asauna, Neopalita, and Lepps Island are among the largest consumers and have the largest markets.

School buses from the Cactulopis School District, Keaton County District Schools, and Lumbard County District Schools, among others are primary exporters of school buses to the islands, given that they are large districts and have a large amount of buses.

### Kiwi Island

Semi Buses in Sorbet Island are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses but can also be from other countries.

### Neopalita

Buses from Desert Island school districts, as well as city buses from that country, as well as both city and school buses from the Yoshi States, Arizonia, Canada, and the United Kingdom (London) are actively used by private agencies for national transport of citizens who are unable to afford a car of their own. Similar to Chicken Buses of Central Yoshi America, Semi Buses in Neopalita receive stronger engines, 18 speed manual stick shift transmissions, beefier brakes, and stronger duty bus chassis. Unlike Central Yoshi American countries however, Neopalitans drive on the left side of the road instead of the right, so using retired school buses from North Yoshi America is more difficult unless another side door is added to the left, which would cost more. Thus, London city buses are more commonly used for starters than North Yoshi American ones. Neopalita has the second most retired bus imports from North Yoshi America and the United Kingdom in the Western Outer Region, only behind its neighbor Asauna.

Southern Neopalita province bans window tints of any kind on semi buses, as well as black paint because they can be associated with sin.

### Asauna

Buses from Desert Island school districts, as well as school and city buses from there and most of North Yoshi America, and more commonly, the United Kingdom, are commonly used by companies in Asauna. Like Neopalita, Asauna also drives on the left, so driving retired buses from North Yoshi America is more difficult without another side door, which can be expensive to add. That's why UK buses from London are more commonly used without modifications for this country. Asauna is the largest importer of Semi Buses in the Western Outer Region.

### Tikal Island

School and city buses from North Yoshi American and Desert Island are imported, but due to the fact that Tikal drives on the left, city buses from London are more commonly imported due to the cost of adding another entry door on the other side. Under Tikalian law, it is illegal for any road vehicle including bikes to pass a Semi Bus if it is loading or unloading, even if it is on a divided highway, as it may put people at risk. Even pedestrians on sidewalks must stop whenever a transit bus loads or unloads, even if they are on the opposite side of a divided highway.

### Kelly Island

Semi buses in Kelly Island are usually ex-London city buses, but sometimes they can also be school or city buses from Desert Island or North Yoshi America. The former is more common because Kelly Island drives on the left.

### Valentine

Semi buses in Valentine are usually ex-London city buses, but sometimes Desert Island or North Yoshi American buses are used.

### Layers Island

Semi buses in Layers Island are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses and school buses. But in recent years however, it has become increasingly difficult to import new buses because the national government has criminalized importation and use of these buses by companies as they undermine the country's clean air laws and greenhouse reduction efforts.

Layers Island's Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) has banned importation of all retired school buses and city buses that were made prior to 2007 due to pollution concerns, and persons who have attempted to import these buses, as well as those who have successfully done so, have faces hard fines (LY$120,000) for importation and use of these buses for use as transportation as they can pollute the air around people. Furthermore, buses made before 2010 need special authorization checks before they can be used on the roads, and they must have a catalytic converter and SCR installed to the exhaust to reduce pollution as much as possible.

Due to these restrictions, privately owned bus agencies shifted to import smaller buses from North America and Desert Island and the buses imported were from between 2010 and 2013. However, the EPC also mulled a proposal to also ban these buses and impose fines on doing so, making their services much more difficult and frustrating. In addition, another proposal to ban fossil fuels and nonrenewable resources entirely puts the island's Semi Bus industry at risk of closure and extinction considering the good amount of money that can be made from these services.

Importation of these buses to use as Skoolies however, are still legal as of now and there are no restrictions on importing these buses for use as an RV.

### Leland Island

Semi Buses in Leland are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses and school buses, and they are typically offered to those who cannot afford a car or if the place they need to go to is unreachable for public transportation. Though not mandatory, some private agencies in Leland have sides of separate genders on their buses, and some may have a trailer behind them that is made from the body of another bus to impose gender segregation. However, most agencies do not impose these and instead allow both to ride the same bus.

If any such bus is imported, by law all window tints must be removed before it can be used because they can be associated with sin. Driving a semi bus with window tint retained is punishable by a fine of L$2,000 and two years in prison, as well as loss of driving privileges.

### Lepps Island

Semi Buses in Lepps Island are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses and school buses. Lepps Island's Semi Bus industry is among the largest in terms of profits, but it is the third largest importer of such buses, behind Neopalita and Asauna. There are also more agencies in Lepps Island than in any other country in this region, though ones in Asauna have more buses under these agencies.

Buses made by Mercedes Benz in the 1950's - 1960's in Germany are also in operation in conjunction with the North American school buses and transit buses. Many of the semi buses imported into Lepps Island by these agencies in the 1990's are still in operation to this day, while at the same time, they also import new ones to replace them, while the older ones are perseved for parts or to convert into trailers. Buses that are in poor condition are instantly scrapped for parts.

### Sorbet Island

Semi Buses in Sorbet Island are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses but can also be from other countries.

### Tangalu

Semi Buses in Tangalu are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses but can also be from other countries.

### Sandy Island

Semi Buses in Sandy Island are ex-North American or Desert Island city buses but can also be from other countries.