As the pressure on Durham bus service continues to mount, the company readily agreed to hire as many drivers as they could find in order to accommodate the failed routes, Board officials said today. However, some officials in the Board Of Education say nothing has been finalized and a plan of decisive action was not yet presented, during negotiations with the company today.
“Let’s see what happens, comes Monday”, a Board members tells TLS.
Additionally, says an official, not all routes were rectified, and some routes will still be going out for bid.
As first reported earlier this week, Durham bus service dumped 10 routes back into the District, leaving hundreds of children without busing. TLS.
Lots of luck to Durhum it trying to hire new drivers, they are one of the cheapest paying school bus companies in Lakewood, and you can tell by the drivers they hire.
I think this is too little to late. A company their size should have known how many drivers and busses they need before the year began.
They probably could not find enough drivers at their price. I doubt they will raise their pay for all drivers just to get out of this jam. They are just stalling Gus and the BOA. Why are they so slow in understandg?”
This all happened because Mr. Zlatkin cares about the children. It’s time to move over. Ask the BOE members who should be expanding?
It’s time for the BOE to take the district back. We applaud your efforts. Residents understand we’ve had so many BA’S in such a short period of time. Unless we start at the top banana and work our way down real change will never happen
To # 1 and others who think all school bus drivers are bad. Put your money where your mouth is. Go to any bus company whether it be Durham, Jay’s , Central, Klarr or Sieman-Tov or one of the schools in Lakewood that have their own busses and become a bus driver. They’ll train you , for free too! and let’s see if you can be handle the aggravation and frustration from Lakewoods private drivers ie: cars and mini vans. Not a day goes by where you run our red lights almost strking a child as you chat away on your cell phones. Perhaps you are the one who passes me on the left while my reds are flashing and the “STOP” sign is activated because you are late. Go down narrow streets where there are double parked cars, or having drivers in their cars doing “K” turns as if they are in Brooklyn. How difficult is it to go around the block? How about you trying to beat a school bus from going through a narrow area almost wedging vehicles. You see us coming and you floor it. Instead of being kind and courteous you become downright rude. Not to say that bus driver can be the same but I am not. Life is too precious. Especially with my precious cargo on board. What about reading signs in front of the schools. “no parking” Load and Unload school buses only, yet as we try to get our busses in or out someone has got to sneak in with their car and drop off thus preventing the bus from leaving. As for Durham being the cheapest, that depends. They are in business to make money. Just like the others BUT do the others offer benefits.. Some people need benefits other don’t . If you feel it’s too low of a pay scale then you move on. Go somewhere else. As I am concerned why should I make $18/hr with 10 years plus and clean driving record when a “newbie” just getting his CDL also gets same rate of pay. Is that the way you pay your employees. If he/she is there 25 years and a “newbie” just starting out they both get lets say $45,000 a year. I don;t think so. As for the routes again, I dont have the fulll details so I cannot lay blame. Some say it’s the BOE others say it’s Durham. Thank you for letting me vent
No body is going to work for 13.05 !!!!!!!!
You have to be a moron to work for this wage
its to much stress and responsibility to work for low rages. It’s ironic that one of the most responsible jobs in the work force is given the least amount of pay!
enuff said
Other companies pay 16 and 17 dollars to start
now your talking my language
most drivers come to durham get trained and pick up their cdl license and then leave! that’s the truth and also the problem
You can’t keep drivers if all you pay is 13 dollars an hour to start. Other bus companies pay 16 to 17 to start . lets keep it real
The driver has valid points. Make the schools pay for there own transportation and you will see how professional and cost effective the the whole system gets in one month.
The public school parents should be paying for the same service.
If this task was allowed the district would save $22 plus million. Now, that would really help all the hard working taxpayers.