School bus safety is a pressing issue, and the government shouldn't wait for more fatal crashes to take whatever steps are needed to ensure that the nation's children are as safe as they can be.
Growing government and public attention to school bus safety is giving makers of these vehicles the confidence to expand.
Opinions were divided among school bus manufacturers at a national conference over proposed standards for the buses, with some complaining that a newly released draft of standards sets the bar too high.
Products by leading Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong were among those making premieres at the first China International School Bus Exhibition held recently in Beijing.
Local governments above the county level will be responsible for school bus safety management, according to a recently drafted regulation posted on the central government's official website, www.gov.cn, on Tuesday.
While commercial vehicle sales have been stagnant in China this year, one segment is viewed with considerable potential by both foreign and domestic carmakers - the largely untapped school bus market.
The first batch of 55 Yangzi brand school buses have begun trial operations, opening 47 new bus lines and transferring 1,617 rural primary and middle school students to and from campus.
A specialized school bus rental firm that claims to be the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland started operation in Guangzhou on Monday.
A seven-seat van carrying 15 children drove into a pond in East China's Jiangxi province on Monday morning, killing at least 11, the local government said.
With the new school year approaching, Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co Ltd has seen a significant increase in orders in August.
A seven-seat van carrying 15 children drove into a pond in East China's Jiangxi province on Monday morning, killing at least 11, the local government said.