New York City's School Bus Service Remains Flawed Amid Contract Extension Vote
The city's school bus system continues to be plagued with issues despite recent scrutiny. A key vote on a contract extension for companies responsible for transporting the 150,000 students reliant on yellow buses is set to take place, but many parents remain unconvinced that the new deal will address the systemic problems plaguing the service.
For some families, the experience of relying on school buses is nothing short of traumatic. Chris Van Dyke's 16-year-old son was involved in a bus crash last month, and Van Dyke claimed he only found out about it when his son texted him from hospital - despite being told by doctors that his son had been treated for the accident.
The lack of communication from school bus companies has long been an issue for parents. Bess Rothenberg, whose son also rides on the same bus, described it as a "crapshoot" whether or not she'll receive information about issues affecting her child's transportation.
This lack of transparency is only one of many problems with New York City's school bus service. Families and advocates have long argued that contracts with bus companies are too old and need to be overhauled to ensure better service for students, particularly those with disabilities.
The current system has led to a shortage of drivers on some routes, leaving families in limbo as their children struggle to get to school. Francelly Rodriguez, whose 8-year-old son Dylan was recently told there would be no bus driver on his route due to a shortage, described the experience as "stressful" and "regressive".
Rodriguez's story is not unique, and many families are speaking out about their own experiences with unreliable school buses. Randi Levine, policy director at Advocates for Children of New York, said that extending contracts without addressing these issues would only perpetuate a cycle of dysfunction.
The city has proposed rewriting the contracts, but lawmakers must first address concerns over job protection requirements for drivers. The current provision preserves wages and benefits by prioritizing existing drivers in hiring and new routes.
As the contract extension vote approaches, many are holding their breath to see whether meaningful change will come to New York City's school bus system. For now, families remain on edge, waiting to see if they'll have a reliable way to get their children to school each day.
The city's school bus system continues to be plagued with issues despite recent scrutiny. A key vote on a contract extension for companies responsible for transporting the 150,000 students reliant on yellow buses is set to take place, but many parents remain unconvinced that the new deal will address the systemic problems plaguing the service.
For some families, the experience of relying on school buses is nothing short of traumatic. Chris Van Dyke's 16-year-old son was involved in a bus crash last month, and Van Dyke claimed he only found out about it when his son texted him from hospital - despite being told by doctors that his son had been treated for the accident.
The lack of communication from school bus companies has long been an issue for parents. Bess Rothenberg, whose son also rides on the same bus, described it as a "crapshoot" whether or not she'll receive information about issues affecting her child's transportation.
This lack of transparency is only one of many problems with New York City's school bus service. Families and advocates have long argued that contracts with bus companies are too old and need to be overhauled to ensure better service for students, particularly those with disabilities.
The current system has led to a shortage of drivers on some routes, leaving families in limbo as their children struggle to get to school. Francelly Rodriguez, whose 8-year-old son Dylan was recently told there would be no bus driver on his route due to a shortage, described the experience as "stressful" and "regressive".
Rodriguez's story is not unique, and many families are speaking out about their own experiences with unreliable school buses. Randi Levine, policy director at Advocates for Children of New York, said that extending contracts without addressing these issues would only perpetuate a cycle of dysfunction.
The city has proposed rewriting the contracts, but lawmakers must first address concerns over job protection requirements for drivers. The current provision preserves wages and benefits by prioritizing existing drivers in hiring and new routes.
As the contract extension vote approaches, many are holding their breath to see whether meaningful change will come to New York City's school bus system. For now, families remain on edge, waiting to see if they'll have a reliable way to get their children to school each day.
. I mean, how hard is it to send out an email or something when there's a problem? My kid's been on the same bus for years and sometimes they don't even tell us if we're running late, let alone what's going on behind the scenes. It's like they just expect parents to deal with all this stuff on our own 
. And don't even get me started on the job protection thing - it's just more barriers for these companies to overcome and do better. Can't we just overhaul the contracts already?! 
I can only imagine how stressful it must be for those parents, not knowing when their kid is going to get to school or what's happening with the bus service... it's like they're walking on eggshells, waiting to hear from someone about something that should be a routine part of their day. And yeah, 150k kids relying on buses every day? That's just crazy! 
I think we need some serious changes, not just token updates. Those bus companies need to be held accountable for the lack of communication and transparency. It's like they're treating parents as if they don't matter or care... it's totally unacceptable 
They can't even be bothered to communicate with parents about the state of these buses? My little sis rides one of those things and I'm always freaking out because there's no info on when or if the bus will show up. And don't even get me started on the safety stuff... I mean, what if my sister was in that bus crash that happened last month?! 
. It's been plagued by problems for years and it seems like nothing's being done to fix them. I mean, how many times can you keep putting Band-Aids on a broken system before something actually changes? The lack of communication from bus companies is ridiculous - who wouldn't want to know when their kid's bus breaks down or if there's going to be a driver shortage on their route?! It's not like it's rocket science... 
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and now it's like they're trying to extend the contracts without making any real changes?! so many parents are speaking out because their kids are counting on them to get to school safely & reliably 
. I mean, I know it's not all bad, but the lack of communication from those companies is just ridiculous 
. It's like they expect parents to be superheroes and figure everything out themselves 
And don't even get me started on those bus crashes... that Chris Van Dyke guy's story is just heartbreaking 
.
. It's not too much to ask for a reliable ride to school, you know? 
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. Until then, these families are stuck in limbo 
. It's just not fair to them or their kids 
It's not exactly rocket science to keep parents updated on their kid's transportation issues. And don't even get me started on the contracts with those bus companies... they're basically the same outdated deals Randi Levine is talking about. It's time for a real overhaul, you know? 
. My kid's school has even cancelled buses due to driver shortages, leaving us scrambling to figure out how we're going to get them to school on time 
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. Fingers crossed that they'll listen to the parents and make some meaningful changes soon 
.
I hope whoever is voting on this contract extension will actually listen to these families and make changes that benefit everyone. Fingers crossed! 
we need better systems in place, not more extensions of outdated contracts 
. We need real change, not just lip service to keeping companies happy 
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. just feels like they're playin' politics instead of fixin' problems for real families