State police inspect every school bus in Pennsylvania before start of year

Soon bus stops will be packed as kids of all ages board the bus to start a new year.

“We know they are in good hands at school, we know they are in good hands at home so it’s that time period in between where we are definitely worried about it,” said Brian Wolovich, who’s a Quaker Valley parent.

Wolovich is talking about safety when it comes to his kids riding the school bus. That’s where state police come into play.

On top of state mechanical inspections, every bus statewide has to get inspected from the inside out by the state police school bus inspectors.

“Parking lamps, backup lamps, side markers, interior lamps are lit inside for a kid to see because come winter months, it’s so dark outside they have to be able to see well,” said Trooper Rocco Gagliardi with PSP Pittsburgh.

It’s a long checklist and not all buses pass on the first try.

“Everyone was a kid back in the day and loved digging their pencils or pens in the back of the seat, making a hole, creating an issue for some of the seats losing their functionality which can lead to a real safety concern,” Gagliardi said.

The troopers cover every inch inside before moving outside.

“We got to make sure that arm bar is working pretty good because if they are walking up closer, it gives them a very hard visual of the kid, so this gives a representation of, I can see the driver the driver can see me,” Gagliardi said.

Even the color is looked at to make sure the yellow hasn’t faded to where it’s not bright enough to see in the dark. Then the inspection team moves underneath the bus.

Teams perform these checks every summer on every bus in order to get the approved inspection sticker before the first day. Without that approval, a bus can’t operate as a school bus and will face hundreds of dollars in fines.

“If it’s a complete fail, that bus will be put out for a couple days as they complete their issues, but if something that can be fixed real quick with a comment, we put that bus to the side to bring the other ones through and the school and bus company will fix the slight issue underneath, or a light is out, put a new one in and then we will roll on it again,” Gagliardi said.

It’s one more layer of protection as you prepare to send your precious cargo back to school.

“Knowing they are being inspected by state police and are on top of that is just a nice peace of mind for us,” Wolovich said.

At any point during the school year, the school bus inspectors can pull a bus for a spot inspection and if the bus fails, the sticker can be peeled off until the issues are fixed.

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