Lamers Bus Lines and Badger Bus are increasing their use of propane autogas. Lamars Bus Lines has recently added 41 new Blue Bird Propane Vision school buses expanding its propane fleet to 59 buses. The buses will transport students in Milwaukee Public Schools and feature Blue Bird’s extended range 100-gallone fuel tank. Each bus will travel nearly 9,000 miles each year.

In the past year, Lamers Bus Lines said they have saved over $14,000 in fuel costs by switching to Blue Bird Propane Vision buses. The company is currently installing an onsite 30,000-gallon fueling dispenser that will service the new Milwaukee propane autogas buses.

“Our propane buses have been completely trouble-free,” said Allen Lamers, president of Lamers Bus Lines. “We’ve had no issues what-so-ever on them and the deployment has been smooth. We received comprehensive training from our local dealer, Wisconsin Bus Sales, along with Roush CleanTech and our local propane provider. From all aspects, the buses are logical, simple and require minimal adaptation. Propane autogas is a great option for school buses and we couldn’t be more pleased with our fleet.”

Badger Bus, has been successfully operating propane autogas school buses for the past two years. The contractor is adding 16 new Blue Bird Propane Vision buses, expanding its total propane fleet to 20. The new propane buses will transport students in Madison Metropolitan School District.

The company has a 2,000 gallon propane autogas tank onsite and is currently paying $1.19 per gallon for fuel – a significant savings over its diesel price of $3.48 per gallon. Each buses travels between 12,000 to 14,000 miles each year, and Badger Bus said they are seeing an average annual fuel savings of over $3,500 per bus.

“Badger Bus has been known for its reliable transportation since our founding in 1920. Our experience with Blue Bird’s propane autogas buses has been a very positive, economical experience. Our drivers love the power and quiet operation, our technicians love the ease of service and simplistic engine, and the domestic, affordable fuel provides us with even greater benefits,” said John Meier, co-owner of Badger Bus. “Overall safety is of paramount importance with the students we transport and the safety and environmental benefits of these buses further strengthen our partnership with the community.”