The Inspector General acknowledged the BPS intends to go ahead with the controversial Transdev transportation contract in a letter to district officers, however advisable it achieve this with warning.
“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 an identical warning from the IGO in December after a assessment of the bidding course of. The contract covers a five-year time period beginning this summer time, with an possibility for 3 one-year extensions, and Transdev’s bid got here in at $17.5 million.
Critics of the contract, together with the state and native watchdog companies, have raised questions concerning the competitiveness of the bidding course of and Transdev’s poor previous efficiency within the metropolis, which can have contributed to main systemic points with late and lacking buses.
Acknowledging the district’s intent to go ahead with the contract, the newest letter dated Tuesday outlined sure requirements, together with that BPS assign employees to scrupulously monitor Transdev’s efficiency.
The letter additionally references a latest DESE report which discovered main gaps in BPS’s capacity to trace buses’ on-time efficiency, noting merely “this must change.”
Transdev is entitled to a $250,000 bonus if it reached over 90% of buses arriving on time inside the first 10 college days of the brand new contract.
The firm could solely obtain the bonus if all buses have functioning GPS programs in a position to confirm this 90% mark is correct, the letter states, including “anything else would be a waste of tax payer funds.”
BPS should additionally proceed to guage the metrics for the very best bus contractor, the letter emphasizes, so will probably be adequately ready to make future contracting choices.
“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 may threat a compelled ten-year contract.
BPS mentioned in a press release it appreciates the suggestions 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 mentioned. “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.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”