HoCo School Bus Clusterf*ck

[owldo]

School Superintendent Martirano slicked the county into hiring a new bus contractor, Zum, and it didn't go so well yesterday.

Howard County Public Schools bus issues have parents frantic on first day: 'No bus came'

Howard County Public School System Superintendent Michael Martirano apologized to families after school bus issues got the new year off to a rocky start.

www.cbsnews.com

I know what you're thinking, the first day of school always has it's hiccups, but wait, there's more. Parents got an email last night that this Zum company will not be able to cover 20 routes for the rest of this week.

‘Make alternative arrangements’: Howard Co. says school bus delays will continue amid driver vacancies - WTOP News

On Monday, thousands of Howard County students showed up late to their first day back after school buses didn’t show up on their scheduled routes.

wtop.com

"I’m from the government and I’m here to help"

 

[TheBert]

Yellow school buses remind me of segregation and Jim Crow.

Yellow, the color of racism, must be replaced.

Let's paint them white. Less expensive and easier to see.

I rode haze gray school busses when I lived in Hawaii. We were transported from McGrew Point, Navy Housing, to Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary.

 

[pbharvey]

PG puts up a monster list of school bus routes affected by lack of drivers.

 

[Melnic]

So, how much of this is bus driver contractors who may have dealt direct with the county either messing with the county by joining Zum then becoming No show, or basically saying F'It, I"m not doing this anymore?

 

[pbharvey]

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

 

[Stoveman]

So, how much of this is bus driver contractors who may have dealt direct with the county either messing with the county by joining Zum then becoming No show, or basically saying F'It, I"m not doing this anymore?

From what I'm seeing on social media (not a huge sample size) local contractors have been contacted by Zum to come work for them and no takers yet.

Most seem to feel that Zum was a big reason that they are now either unemployed or working for another contractor and although they feel for the kids, there is no way they are going to work for Zum and help them get out of the colossal mess that they created.

 

[RFBfromDE]

From what I'm seeing on social media (not a huge sample size) local contractors have been contacted by Zum to come work for them and no takers yet.

Most seem to feel that Zum was a big reason that they are now either unemployed or working for another contractor and although they feel for the kids, there is no way they are going to work for Zum and help them get out of the colossal mess that they created.

That’s precious!

”We screwed you, now we want you to help us screw you harder!”

 

[Stoveman]

 

[Stoveman]

 

[Biggfoot44]

It doesn't look like they saved any money so what are the taxpayers and school students getting out of this?

Virtue Signaling

 

[RFBfromDE]

Virtue Signaling

Be the first on your block with free carbon neutral electric buses…. Eventually.

 

[Art3]

From what I'm seeing on social media (not a huge sample size) local contractors have been contacted by Zum to come work for them and no takers yet.

Most seem to feel that Zum was a big reason that they are now either unemployed or working for another contractor and although they feel for the kids, there is no way they are going to work for Zum and help them get out of the colossal mess that they created.

Ha! Did Zum expect local bus contractors to just be sitting around waiting for work the first week of school?

I don't have a dog in this pony show, but I'm really enjoying the fireworks.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Ha! Did Zum expect local bus contractors to just be sitting around waiting for work the first week of school?

Contractors meaning School Bus * Companies * ?
Contractors meaning the actual Drivers and front line street supervisors ?

If the latter , then probably .

It's the way of the world in the contracting universe . When a new contractor takes over a particular contract/ site , the existing on site front line employees , a significant double digit % of employees will apply to the new contract holder for the same jobs , and significant double digit % of them are so hired .

The new employer gets experienced employees with local knowledge and institutional memory . The old employees get to more or less retain their job locations and duties .

 

[Biggfoot44]

From what I'm seeing on social media (not a huge sample size) local contractors have been contacted by Zum to come work for them and no takers yet.

Most seem to feel that Zum was a big reason that they are now either unemployed or working for another contractor and although they feel for the kids, there is no way they are going to work for Zum and help them get out of the colossal mess that they created.

Eh .

Contract holders change semi regularly in virtually all fields .
In the " driving around bus loads of 'yutes locally " field , the locality's school system is the 800 lb gorilla of employment . Private schools and church youth groups are a tiny fraction , and otherwise they would have to commute to neighboring jurisdictions , or switch fields .

If they want to commute , PG Schools are also hiring , where they could be permanent full time employees , and get Union Benefits .

 

[TheBert]

Contractors meaning School Bus * Companies * ?
Contractors meaning the actual Drivers and front line street supervisors ?

If the latter , then probably .

It's the way of the world in the contracting universe . When a new contractor takes over a particular contract/ site , the existing on site front line employees , a significant double digit % of employees will apply to the new contract holder for the same jobs , and significant double digit % of them are so hired .

The new employer gets experienced employees with local knowledge and institutional memory . The old employees get to more or less retain their job locations and duties .

Do the employees benefit from the new contract in their daily wages? There was info expressed above that the value of each route, in the contract, went from $70K to $98K.

 

[RFBfromDE]

I don't have a dog in this pony show, but I'm really enjoying the fireworks.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Do the employees benefit from the new contract in their daily wages? There was info expressed above that the value of each route, in the contract, went from $70K to $98K.

No idea . But very unlikely .

Alternative fuel busses are operable by " regular " bus drivers with minimal transition training .

Overall Contract billing has little to do with the wages of the grunt employees .

 

[chuck]

From what I'm seeing on social media (not a huge sample size) local contractors have been contacted by Zum to come work for them and no takers yet.

Most seem to feel that Zum was a big reason that they are now either unemployed or working for another contractor and although they feel for the kids, there is no way they are going to work for Zum and help them get out of the colossal mess that they created.

If they really wanted these bus drivers, they should have had them hired before the last contract was up. That seems to be the status quo on service contract transitions I've been a part of.

 

[Phoenix_1295]

It's an empty building that was going to be a farm museum. Lots of dreams with not enough funding. Some good people wanted to keep the Howard County farming legacy alive.
Both my parents grew up on farms in Howard County.

Actually, not empty. The buildings house antique machinery, housewares, etc. The displays are set-up in period order so you can take a walk through time. They put on blacksmith demonstrations, equipment demonstrations, educational tours, etc.

It is a very interesting and educational resource and the County has provided no real reason for terminating their lease. (Letter stated “in best interest of the County”.) And to give an establishment of this size only 90 days to find another location and move all of the equipment and displays is absolutely absurd.

Makes one curious if a developer’s project coincidentally appears on that property. (Maybe that’s where Zum’s new lot is going.)

 

[smokey]

One of the justifications for the increase of $20,000,000 for zum was that zum would also be handling sports transportation. Guuuueeeeesssssss whatttttttt? Word is coming in today that games are getting canceled across the county because the teams don't have transportation.