Our public engagement manager recently interviewed SD8 Journeyman Mechanic Bill Connoly to find out more about what he and his SD8 Transportation crew do to prepare buses to transport thousands of students to school at the start of each school year. Here is what he said: 

“Every bus goes through what is called ‘C service. This means we do a full inspection on each bus and do any maintenance or repairs that need doing. We take the brake covers off and inspect the brakes and linings and every bus gets a complete brake inspection.” [The ‘C’ service also includes lubrication as well as checks of key components such as lights, tire condition and inflation, and fluids, checking and adjusting high-wear components, an oil and filter change as well as more in-depth checks of the engine and driveline, alignment, scheduled component replacement and other scheduled engine and driveline component inspection or replacement].

Then we do what’s called a Commercial Vehicle Inspection or CVI inspection. These inspections have to be done every year to meet requirements [of the B.C. Vehicle Inspection and Standards program]. And, we make sure all the licence and registration information is current.

Finally, we fix any rust on the bumpers and that kind of thing, and take the buses to the wash bay, for what we call ‘degreasing.’ We pick the front end of the bus up [using a hoist], and we wash underneath it.

Then the buses all get cleaned on the inside and the newer buses, the ones that are in the best shape, they get a wax on the floors to preserve them a bit longer. All the insides get wiped down, all the seats get tipped up and we clean the gum off the bottom of the seats. There is usually a lot of gum. And that’s more or less what we do each year so the buses are ready to go.”

On September 6, the first day of school for the 2022-2023 school year, 34 buses left yards in Nelson, Crescent Valley, Kaslo, Crawford Bay and Creston to take students safely to the first day of school.