The new safety-equipped vehicle is part of a fleet of new Translink school buses commissioned by the Government following a series of horrific bus crashes in recent years.

Last year 15-year-old Killina Presentation School pupil Patrick Whyte was killed and 25 other students injured after their school bus was involved in a road accident in Rahan, three miles from Tullamore in Co Offaly.

And in 2005, five teenage girls, all from the same school, died and six other youngsters were seriously injured in an appalling road smash in Navan, Co Meath.

Their school bus, which was not fitted with seat belts, crashed and ended up on its side on a country road by a ditch.

The accidents prompted calls for legislation to be changed in Northern Ireland after it emerged 101 children under 14 may be carried on a bus with 53 seats and no seat belts - known as the three for two rule.

They also prompted calls for all school buses to be fitted with seat belts.

Last autumn the DRD allocated £37m for a new school bus system.

In February this year the Government changed the legislation making it illegal for children to travel in private vehicles without wearing a seat belt and that all bus passengers over the age of 14 must use a seat belt if one is available - or face a potential fine of up to £500.

This morning Translink, which carries 65% of school bus pupils, unveiled the first of its 110 fleet to Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy and Education Minister Caitriona Ruane at Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch.

The new buses will measure 12 metres long, have 66 seats or 62 seats plus space for a wheelchair and they will be fitted with seat belts.

Translink Acting Chief Executive Philip O'Neill said the new fleet, which would continue to support the existing integrated school bus model, would be completely phased in by the end of the year.

"Translink has always placed passenger safety at the top of its agenda," he said.

"We are delighted that, with funding support from DRD, we are now able to offer an even further enhanced level of safety and comfort to our many thousands of schoolbus users.

"Moreover, we are very glad to have been able to deliver all of these vital new vehicles in 2007 ensuring the earliest possible elimination of the 'three for two' practice and also alleviate pupil standing on our services. These welcome measures will further improve the quality of school transport and will also have a positive effect towards encouraging children to use public transport to minimise the adverse impact of the school run."

Transport Minister Conor Murphy welcomed the new fleet saying their introduction would help to protect our young people.

"The safety of our children travelling to and from school is of paramount importance to us all and the introduction of the first of these impressive new vehicles for school services will help to protect our young people," he said.

"The safety of school transport has also been of particular importance to the Assembly, not least during the last period of devolution, when an Assembly Committee inquiry on home-to-school safety was established."

Education Minister Caitríona Ruane added: "I am particularly pleased to report that the Education and Library Boards have already managed to remove three-for-two seating arrangements on their vehicles."

It is expected more than half of the new fleet will be in service by September.