New school bus signage designed to improve the safety of children using school transport is being trialled in Aberdeenshire.

The council developed the initiative in partnership with the Scottish Government and north-east bus operators to warn road users that school buses and pupils are likely to be in the area.

The new signs were developed in response to concerns about the visibility, interpretation and reported inappropriate use of the existing school bus sign.

The new signage makes use of higher visibility, reflective materials and features the words ‘School Bus’.

It comes just over a year after two Aberdeenshire school pupils were killed in separated incidents.

Alexander Milne, 12, and Robyn Oldham, 15, were killed within weeks of each other after being hit by cars while stepping off their school buses.

The incidents prompted calls for a major review of school bus safety. Included among the proposed changes was a ban on drivers from overtaking stationary buses.

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council's Education, Learning and Leisure Committee, Councillor Richard Stroud, said: “I am pleased to help launch this trial and would like to thank everyone who has been involved in developing the new signs.

“Meldrum Academy has the largest proportion of pupils travelling by school bus in Aberdeenshire and because a number of operators provide services the signs will be trialled on a range of vehicles.”

The trial will run on Meldrum Academy services until the 2010 summer holidays, enabling the effectiveness of the signs to be tested in a range of daylight conditions by a range of methods.

Councillor Peter Argyle, Chairman of the Infrastructure Services Committee, added: “While the new signage is designed to raise awareness of school buses and the possible presence of pupils crossing to motorists, this is just one project that we are investigating as a possible means to improve school transport safety.

“Bus operators, motorists, pupils and parents are all important stakeholders and we will continue to pursue a range of education, encouragement and engineering measures to heighten awareness.”