SEVIERVILLE, TN – Sevier County is setting its budget for the coming fiscal year, and some are wondering if the county needs all the vehicles it operates and, particularly, if it needs so many big cars, according to www.zwire.com.

Among the larger county automobiles, the school system 158 vehicles, mostly buses. Since the cost of diesel has surpassed that of unleaded fuel, the school system is feeling the pinch at the pump. To help cut down on that cost, bus drivers take vehicles home in the evenings and on weekends.

Also, tracking devices are being installed in all buses to ensure the safety of the children, but also to help catch any driver using the bus unnecessarily. For instance, while drivers have permission to make personal stops as they head to or from their homes in the buses, they cannot go out of their way to run those errands.