Thousands of Northern Ireland children return to school this morning on board a fleet of new safety-enhanced buses.
The North's public transport company, Translink, says the new buses will mark the beginning of the end for "three-for-two" seat-sharing on dedicated school buses and will increase seatbelt usage and awareness among young people.
This is in line with Assembly recommendations for tighter safety standards after the Kentstown school bus crash in Co Meath in May 2005 when five schoolgirls died.
Translink, which carries 65 per cent of the 110,000 pupils travelling on school services, is introducing the first of its new fleet of 160 top-grade dedicated school buses. These have greater passenger capacity, are fitted with seatbelts and will help end both seat-sharing and standing on school services by April 2009.
Translink's acting chief executive Philip O'Neill said they were delighted "to begin the new school year on such a positive note" with new vehicles aimed primarily at enhancing safety but also at improving comfort.