IG still has busing deal doubts
The Inspector General recognized the BPS intends to go forward with the controversial Transdev transportation contract in a letter to district officials, but recommended it do so with caution.
“The Office remains extremely concerned about Transdev’s failure to consistently deliver students to school on time in the past and questions whether Transdev will be able to do so in the future,” the IGO’s letter reads.
The letter follows a similar warning from the IGO in December after a review of the bidding process. The contract covers a five-year term starting this summer, with an option for three one-year extensions, and Transdev’s bid came in at $17.5 million.
Critics of the contract, including the state and local watchdog agencies, have raised questions about the competitiveness of the bidding process and Transdev’s poor past performance in the city, which may have contributed to major systemic issues with late and missing buses.
Acknowledging the district’s intent to go forward with the contract, the most recent letter dated Tuesday outlined certain standards, including that BPS assign staff to rigorously monitor Transdev’s performance.
The letter also references a recent DESE report which found major gaps in BPS’s ability to track buses’ on-time performance, noting simply “this must change.”
Transdev is entitled to a $250,000 bonus if it reached over 90% of buses arriving on time within the first 10 school days of the new contract.
The company may only receive the bonus if all buses have functioning GPS systems able to verify this 90% mark is accurate, the letter states, adding “anything else would be a waste of tax payer funds.”
BPS must also continue to evaluate the metrics for the best possible bus contractor, the letter emphasizes, so it will be adequately prepared to make future contracting decisions.
“By the beginning of the third year of the new contract with Transdev, BPS should determine whether it is in its best interest to exercise any of the optional extensions, conduct another procurement or provide school bus operations itself,” the letter warns, noting a delay could risk a forced ten-year contract.
BPS said in a statement it appreciates the feedback from the IGO “to help ensure public accountability for this critical procurement.”
“In line with the IGO’s recommendation, BPS has already completed the majority of the work necessary to prepare a fully integrated contract,” the district said. “We look forward to our continued work with Transdev and partners across the city and state to keep improving our transportation systems for our young people.”