[Ponine]

I'm very interested now.
The smallest bus I ever drove was what we fondly called a "bread box"
and it had... six seats

four facing the normal way that you expect, the the very first two facing inside like what I see as typical public transit.
I was taught that an average school bus seat could hold up to three elementary children.
(In fact, as a parent, have rode the bus with two elementary children sharing the bench with them.)

And as high schooler you could get three on a bench if you wanted to be cozy. Four if you were all thin. But you were very cozy.

Nine in the last two seats... one long seat? Did the children not want to be separated?
Maybe the youngers didnt want to leave the olders?

As I said, I'm very curious now.