Provinces, Territories and local school boards choose the means and type of transportation for school children that best suits their needs.
Restrictions for school use:
Transport Canada cannot restrict vehicle use. Some provinces/territories and school boards do not allow the use of large passenger vans for school functions. Please contact your provincial/territorial transportation office or local school board for more details.
Multi-Functional Activity Bus (
MFAB
) and Multifunction School Activity Bus (
MFSAB
):
Some safety stakeholders believe that students should be transported only in school buses or
MFAB
s/
MFSAB
s. A
MFAB
is similar to a school bus, but without the traffic warning devices required for school buses. These vehicles are not meant for making on-highway stops like school buses are.
MFAB
s must meet various requirements and these are detailed in the Canadian Standards Association technical standard D-270, published in June 2008. The
MFSAB
is similar to the
MFAB
but the specifications are defined in the U.S. by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and it is meant specifically for transporting school aged occupants on extra-curricular trips.
