CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – When Coast RTA got new yellow buses in 2015, there was some controversy as to whether or not the buses were compliant with federal and state laws, because in South Carolina, only school buses can be yellow. General Manager and CEO, Brian Piascik, says after consultation, they believe the company is in compliance with the law.“We believe that because they’re not completely yellow, that they are compliant with the law,” said Piascik. “We’ve been running them for a while since they got here with no issues, and we’re certainly not looking for any issues.”
Coast RTA got 10 new buses from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in 2015, and those buses came in a yellow color specific to Dallas. In fact, the federal standard for school buses is a color called “National School Bus Glossy Yellow.” The Coast RTA buses are not that color, and Coast RTA added blue and white stripes to the buses to make them more distinct.
Piascik said riders actually like the yellow buses because they can see them coming. He also mentioned that people equate the yellow buses to “better service.”
Piascik said the Coast RTA drivers are trained, so even if a child were to be confused by the color of the bus, the driver would not let an unsupervised child mistakenly get on.
Coast RTA is looking to do some re-branding later in the summer. They will be rearranging the logo and painting all of their buses. This project is expected to cost about $8-10,000 per bus. To enhance their service, Coast RTA is also expecting four new, upgraded, buses that are $432,000 a piece. WBTW News 13 will keep an eye out for the new changes and keep you updated.
