School District To Go For Emergency Quotes To Fill Routes Vacated By Durham

Following yesterday’s upheaval in the District when Durham Bus Service dumped 10 routes back into the District, the District will go for emergency quotes from other vendors to try and fill the unserviced routes, an official confirmed to TLS this afternoon. Following meetings with the several companies who failed to provide busing due to the rescheduling of the public sector, at least two of the vendors corrected the issue of the affected routes by adding additional buses.

Durham however, the official said, was unwilling to add buses, leaving the approximately 400 children still without busing.

In response to this, the District this afternoon is obtaining emergency quotes from other providers to immediately rectify the situation.

Until then, parents of the children affected are being notified by the schools to pick up the children from school. TLS-CCP.

This content, and any other content on TLS, may not be republished or reproduced without prior permission from TLS. Copying or reproducing our content is both against the law and against Halacha. To inquire about using our content, including videos or photos, email us at [email protected].

Stay up to date with our news alerts by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

**Click here to join over 20,000 receiving our Whatsapp Status updates!**

**Click here to join the official TLS WhatsApp Community!**

Got a news tip? Email us at [email protected], Text 415-857-2667, or WhatsApp 609-661-8668.

22 COMMENTS

  1. Lakewood should own it’s own buses and drivers. Relying on private companies means they can basically charge us whatever they want. Schools are going to be in Lakewood for a very long time. They should start putting together a bus fleet now and not sign anymore contracts to save the district and tax payeres money in the future.

  2. You think the school district will save money now by taking back the school buses? The district drivers will have union benefits. You won’t be able to under pay the drivers, pay them late or not at all. where will you park all the buses, that is not the district’s problem now. Security for the parked buses, maintenance of the buses, do they contract out the maintenance or hire their own mechanics. It goes on and on……

  3. Hello!!! Everyone knows that the gov does not do anything better than a private entity does it! YOu’re just asking for trouble. Years ago, we did have in-house busing, and there were still plenty of problems.

  4. I know that my son is one out of many, but the blatant attitude that I was greeted with at the BOE today is unacceptable. I absolutely realize that the whole system is crashing down on them,but talk to me with some dignity and respect. I pay my taxes and my son deserves better.
    Shame on them!

  5. Busing was never a problem when it was in house. The fleet was sold because there was a master plan in the private sector. Well the master plan is in final stages and now busing Is a problem. Def bring in house busing back. There will be headaches, but there will be more accountability and in house control.

  6. The new bids for those routes will be higher than Durham was getting. Then comes more companies leaving so new bids will have to be saught. Again at higher rates. Does anyone think this was preplanned to get more money for the bus owners? Just asking.

  7. if it was in house how would they cover the routes in this case when the public school changed times? would they purchase new buses overnight?

    we need to be patient and give it a few days for all to fall in to place. I know we have none so we will be kvetching for the next few days.

  8. #6, busing is over 22 million per year, if we brought it back into district can you tell me if the cost would go down. That’s the answer question that needs to be answered

  9. attn “Lakewood Resident says:” #1

    The private sector is ALWAYS cheaper & more efficient. As long as the bidding process is transparent, and there is enough competition it should be fine.

    there is still always the possibility that the govt can screw up the bidding process. This company should be penalized for such a late decision.

    Yossie

  10. My daughter was (finally) accepted to a school (for primary) last Monday evening (9/5), the next day (Tues 9/6) I went down to the BOE to fill out a transportation form and give them her birth cert. One person told me she would have a bus pass within a few days another told me they would not be processing any more new applications until 9/12, both said she can not go on the bus until she has a bus pass.
    I have been calling regularly and was unable to get a person. I left a specific message on Sun (9/11) and Mon (9/12). Although the voicemail said they would return calls I have not heard from anyone.
    Today (9/14) I finally got a person on the phone. She looked my daughter up & said she is still not in the system and the person who takes care of the non-public applications is out until Mon (9/19).
    So now my daughter (who had to wait till 2 days before school started to find out what school she was going to) has to wait till, at least, the third week of school to go on the bus.
    Why would such a key person be out of the office during this crucial time? And if she had to be out for some valid reason, why can no-one else take care of these kids?
    Does anyone know if there is someone I can call about this?

  11. As a former bus coordinator at a Yeshiva, I must inform the people who comment above to bring the service back in house. The costs will be at least triple of what the bids cost now. There are so many more costs you cant even imagine. Let the BOE do their job. Do you think they do not understand what is happening? Stop attacking them on this issue, there are several other pressing issues not being made public that is costing us much more.

  12. I think the Mosdos should have their own Vaad dealing with busing specifically. I don’t know if the in-house method would save money, but if this Vaad would own their own bus entity and bid collectively on their routes we could expect wonders. (Some schools already do so in Lakewood)

    I know a Chassidish Mossad in NY with 9,000 children and 40 buses!! Granted they only serve 11 schools, however this accomplishment is possible by controlling fully the entire eco-system from start/dismissal times to the quality of the drivers…
    We could definitely do much better if we pulled resources together.

  13. Agudas Yisroel in Chicago got their own buses – AI Bus Service – through a government grant. I wonder if this program could be implemented here by an organization such as the Igud.

  14. Was anyone from the company questioned? I don’t believe so. Don’t you find it strange that this company has been in town since 1992 and never had an issue like this before? Routes were not just given back without a resonable explanation. Information should be gathered from more than one source before jumping to conclusions.

  15. A warm and understanding phone manner won’t cost the BOE any money. When they pick up the phone in the Transportation Dept. she is terse, indifferent and rude (you get the feeling she can’t wait to get you off the phone).

    I know they are stressed, but we all are. A little empathy goes a long way (and it’s free).

Comments are closed.