Latest news with #schoolbuses
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Cumbria free school buses reinstated amid safety concerns
A council accused of putting money before children's safety by scrapping free school buses is to reinstate all Council was due to end services on four routes in Cumbria from September having said it was following national guidance by identifying a "safe walking route" that pupils could use, while paid-for public transport was also hit out at the move and warned many youngsters would face long and potentially unsafe authority said it was now acknowledging "the concerns raised by families" and all services would remain in place. Among those set to have been affected were children from Great Clifton who attended Workington Academy two miles (3.2km) route put forward by the council for walking was next to a busy road and had little or no lighting, opponents Fox said her daughter Connie faced a 45-minute walk."I don't see how the council can deem it safe," she told the councillor Peter Gaston said: "Are they putting money before the safety of school children? The answer is yes." 'Rash' decision Youngsters in the Kells area of Whitehaven were also going to lose free bus Madrick said her son Flynn would either have had to catch two paid-for buses to get to St Benedict's Catholic High School or face a walk of more than three miles (4.8km), which was "impossible" due to health branded the council's original decision to scrap the service "rash"."We're relieved they've changed their mind," Ms Madrick said, adding: "It would've had a huge impact."Both secondary schools - St Benedict's and Whitehaven Academy - are on the other side of town to the Kells and Bransty areas, and the public buses aren't reliable."Expecting children from the age of 11 to walk six miles to school and back every day is too much and it wouldn't have been safe crossing the A595." 'Priority is safety' The council provides free travel on just over 600 routes, with the figure including services for coaches for dozens of pupils as well as vehicles for single a statement, it said it had undertaken a review of walking routes to schools to "ensure our free school transport provision remains fair, consistent, and based on current criteria for need and entitlement, in line with national guidance".However, it added: "We acknowledge the concerns raised by families regarding the outcomes of the reassessment of walking routes."As a result, current provision will remain in place on all [four] affected routes at this time."Our priority continues to be the safety of children and young people, and we are committed to working openly with families and community representatives." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 5 Most Interesting Analyst Questions From Blue Bird's Q1 Earnings Call
Blue Bird's first quarter results for 2025 reflected ongoing momentum as the company reported higher sales volumes and revenue growth, with results modestly ahead of Wall Street's expectations. Management attributed the performance to continued robust demand for school buses, strong pricing discipline for combustion engine models, and increased adoption of alternative power vehicles such as electric and propane buses. CEO John Wyskiel emphasized that the company's backlog, representing over six months of production, provides operational stability, while recent pricing actions and a higher mix of alternative fuel vehicles supported profitability. Wyskiel stated, 'Bus prices were again higher in Q1 compared to a year ago on every combustion engine model and we are still priced competitively as we can see from our bid results and our overall win rate.' Margin pressures were noted, with operating margin declining year over year, partially due to increased investments in headcount and plant upgrades. Is now the time to buy BLBD? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $358.9 million vs analyst estimates of $356.8 million (3.7% year-on-year growth, 0.6% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.96 vs analyst estimates of $0.95 (in line) Adjusted EBITDA: $49.21 million vs analyst estimates of $47.31 million (13.7% margin, 4% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $1.45 billion at the midpoint EBITDA guidance for the full year is $200 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $197.9 million Operating Margin: 9.4%, down from 10.4% in the same quarter last year Sales Volumes rose 1.8% year on year (-2.2% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $1.43 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Mike Shlisky (D.A. Davidson) asked if margin targets might be raised under new CEO John Wyskiel. Wyskiel said it was too early to speculate but pointed to his operational background as a potential advantage long-term. Mike Shlisky (D.A. Davidson) questioned the ability to lower EV prices amid new tariffs. CFO Razvan Radulescu replied that tariff uncertainty had paused price reduction efforts on EVs, but the company hopes for clarity in coming months. Eric Stine (Craig-Hallum) inquired about dealer and customer reactions to price increases. Radulescu said dealers were aligned with the company, and industry-wide tariff exposure meant competitors were also raising prices. Tyler DiMatteo (BTIG) asked about substituting EV production with ICE or propane models due to tariffs. Management confirmed that lower EV output would be offset by increased builds of other models. Craig Irwin (ROTH Capital Partners) sought updates on the commercial chassis product and customer interest by fuel type. Wyskiel noted strong early interest in propane, especially given the current tariff environment for EVs. In the coming quarters, our team will be watching (1) how quickly Blue Bird adapts its supply chain and pricing to ongoing tariff changes, (2) whether EPA Clean School Bus Program funding continues to support robust order intake for electric and alternative power buses, and (3) initial customer response and order activity for the new Blue Bird commercial chassis platform. Execution on facility upgrades and product launches will also be important indicators of longer-term growth. Blue Bird currently trades at $45.90, up from $37.70 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Iran in ‘direct hit' on Israel hospital & Tehran reactor blitzed as Trump ‘approves strike & could join war in DAYS'
Iran blows up Israeli school buses in horror strike This is the chilling aftermath of a huge ballistic rocket blast by Iran which blew up a line of Israeli school buses. A 30-foot crater sat just yards from the charred hulk of the bus laid bare the destructive power of the Iranian missiles terrorising Israel since Friday. The rocket was fired more than 1,000 miles and armed with a tonne of explosives. It narrowly missed dozens of homes before thundering into a bus depot site. Locals cowering in shelters nearby felt the earth move as the blast delivered a fireball coupled with a shrapnel shockwave which wiped out ten buses at 8.48am on Tuesday.
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Chilling vid shows Israeli school bus blown to bits by Iranian missile in madcap Ayatollah's death-throw retaliation
THIS is the chilling aftermath of a huge ballistic rocket blast by Iran which blew up a line of Israeli school buses. A 30-foot crater sat just yards from the charred hulk of the bus laid bare the destructive power of the Iranian missiles terrorising Israel since Friday. 11 11 11 11 The rocket was fired more than 1,000 miles and armed with a tonne of explosives. It narrowly missed dozens of homes before thundering into a bus depot site. Locals cowering in shelters nearby felt the earth move as the blast delivered a fireball coupled with a shrapnel shockwave which wiped out ten buses at 8.48am on Tuesday. The fanatical Iranian terror state has launched at least 370 similar missiles - including a hypersonic one - and hundreds of drones at its arch enemy. These attacks have left the normally bustling metropolis of Tel Aviv a virtual ghost town as citizens braced for the next phase of this fast-moving conflict. The Sun's team in Israel was taken to the crater in the suburb of Herzliya, around 10 miles from the port city's centre overnight. Locals were still reeling from the shock of the attack little more than 24 hours earlier - and counting the cost of 10 wrecked school buses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Ahron Gablan - who owns seven buses smashed during the blitz - said: 'They had been parked there because classes had been stopped because of the war. 'But God knows what would have happened if the children and their families hadn't been in shelters. 'It exploded at 8.48am on a weekday when streets would usually be busy - when families would have been taking kids to school. Trump gives 2-word warning to Ayatollah if he refuses to surrender…& reveals Iran blinked first in secret talks 'I was in a synagogue nearby when the explosion shook the building - I have never felt or heard anything like it. 'The sound was terrifying.' Mr Gablan, a 67-year-old father-of-five from Herzliya added: 'My buses have been wrecked and I don't know how I'll recover from this. 'This is what happens when one of the missiles gets through but - thank God - it hit open ground next to the depot. 'Everyone is worried about where this war is going and what will happen next. We want it all to end.' Israel and Iran are now in a deadly 'race to the bottom' as their stocks of offensive and defensive missiles were drained by the six-day conflict. Iran still has a mammoth stockpile of just under 3,000 missiles - the largest in the Middle East. But Israel says it has so far knocked out more than a third of the nation's ballistic launchers and is racing against time to hit more before further attacks are mounted. 11 11 11 Their urgency has been ramped up as rockets continued to fly forcing Israel to launch costly barrages using its high tech Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow rocket arsenals. Analysts now say victory may now hinge on which side runs out of missiles first. US sources last night said Israel is beginning to run low on Arrow rockets - the most vital ballistic missile defender - which could mean rationing defensive actions later this week. At least 24 Israelis have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded since the start of the conflict - but locals fear casualty rates will rocket without a missile shield. A local dad-of-two called Ismail said as he picked over wreckage near the crater site in Herzliya shrugged last night: 'We know we are not safe and in a fight to the finish. 'Without the Iron Dome missiles like this would finish us and we are praying the Iranians will be stopped before it is too late.' It comes as the war looks set to escalate into a global disaster with the US weighing up if they should get involved in strikes on Iran. Donald Trump gave a clear warning to Iran's Supreme Leader as he urged him to consider an "unconditional surrender". 11 11 Ayatollah Khamenei vowed Tehran will "never surrender" as he warned against any US intervention in the conflict. In his first statement since the escalation of bombings over the last few days, Khamenei said: "The battle begins." He warned that the US will face hell if it enters the war and drops a single bomb. Trump held a crisis meeting in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday, discussing whether to enter the war. After the 80-minute gathering, US officials indicated that the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial in determining whether diplomacy could be achieved with Iran, ABC News reports. This would likely include an ironclad agreement to dismantle Iran's whole nuclear programme. But if such commitments from Iran aren't agreed, Trump may resort to military action against Iran instead. 11
Khaleej Times
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
School bus collision in UAE: Ajman Police report no injuries
A minor collision occurred between two school buses in the Al Mowaihat area of Ajman, resulting in no injuries among the students, according to the emirate's police. The accident occurred as a result of the rear bus not leaving a sufficient safety distance, and the two buses collided at a low speed, it added.
