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Today, @AsburyParkPress & @northjersey is launching an investigation into NJ's school bus safety laws, the gaping holes they leave open, the "rogue operators" who take full advantage -- and the dangers, crashes and even deaths that result. https://www.app.com/in-depth/news/education/in-our-schools/2020/10/06/school-bus/3996579002/
You have to be a subscriber to either @AsburyParkPress or @northjersey to read the series. Right now, you can subscribe and pay $1 a month for your first 3 months. https://cm.northjersey.com/specialoffer https://cm.app.com/specialoffer
In case you want to see what you're missing, here's a brief overview, from @scervenka and myself: https://www.app.com/in-depth/news/education/in-our-schools/2020/10/06/investigation-reveals-new-jersey-school-bus-system-exploited-some/5873188002/
A few highlights: 46,900 of the 47,000 buses inspected each year are scheduled in advance. So it's not surprising that many bus companies clean up their act in advance, including sending home those drivers without a license and the buses with major issues. https://www.app.com/videos/news/education/in-our-schools/2020/10/06/they-got-me-inside-nj-school-bus-safety-inspection/3480494001/
How do we know this? Because on those 100 buses that WERE subject to a surprise inspection (in 2019), the MVC found drivers with licenses that were revoked/suspended or no license at all. Also, in one case, a convicted sex offender wanted for not registering their address.
The MVC told us the bus companies who don't follow the rules do so because it's cheap to do so -- it's "the cost of doing business." After hearing our spiel, she called for stiffer penalties for things like putting unlicensed drivers behind the wheel. https://www.app.com/videos/news/education/in-our-schools/2020/10/06/nj-school-bus-driver-crash-safety-accident-sue-fulton/3480468001/
It's not hard to compare this behavior and terrible incidents that have resulted in people being injured or killed. There are prominent examples of bus drivers that were allowed to drive despite a HISTORY of previous school bus crashes. For example: https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2019/02/13/harry-mccracken-williamstown-monroe-school-bus-crash-student-transportation-america-sta/2855875002/
In some instances, a company will be hit with so hefty a fine -- or, more likely a lawsuit and/or loss of a contract and/or PR hit related to one of these crashes -- that they will close altogether.
And then they open a new business and continue getting contracts.
And then they open a new business and continue getting contracts.
To put this all in context: After the 2018 school bus crash on I-80, legislators did make a lot of good changes. But they still left gaps large enough to, uh, drive a bus through. AND some of those changes STILL aren't in practice yet. From @Colleenallreds https://www.app.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/10/06/how-eight-school-bus-safety-bills-got-passed-after-paramus-crash/5818919002/
This is all important stuff to consider in the COVID-19 era. If NJ laws allow these "rogue operators" to get away with putting bad drivers on the road (leading to crashes/deaths), how can we trust them with curbing the spread of the coronavirus? https://www.app.com/in-depth/news/education/in-our-schools/2020/10/06/school-bus/3996579002/
A few important things to note about our story: 1) This investigation is largely focused on private school bus contractors. While public school districts have the same issues, officials tell us that the vast majority of these issues stem from private bus companies.
2) Like any business, you can probably dismiss these "rogue operators" as a few bad apples. But, to quote a New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association official quoting Chris Rock, in some jobs you can't have any bad apples.
3) School bus driving is a really tough job with low pay and awful working conditions, namely driving around actual monsters all day. @OglesbyAPP is still traumatized from one ride-along: https://www.app.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/10/06/short-supply-school-bus-drivers-face-covid-19-rules-and-low-pay/5692239002/
4) This series is by no means an accounting of ALL of the issues caused by the laws governing school bus safety, and we'll try to stay on top of new ones as they pop up...
...which brings me back to: SUBSCRIBE! http://cm.app.com/specialoffer
...which brings me back to: SUBSCRIBE! http://cm.app.com/specialoffer
