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Boston Public Schools fines bus contractor as parents demand answers

Boston Public Schools fines bus contractor as parents demand answers

Rule Changes Boston, MA local

The district has fined Transdev more than $400,000 and added $10,500 for blown trips, but a Nov. 2 City Council hearing showed buses still miss the 95% on-time target.

November 2nd, 2026: BPS fines Transdev additional $10,500 for blown trips

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Boston city councilors held a hearing on the school bus system Nov. 2, and the numbers were well short of the district's goal: 86% of morning buses arrived on time in the first month of school, against a 95% target.

The hearing followed a new $10,500 fine against contractor Transdev for blown trips, which adds to more than $400,000 in penalties from last school year. Parents such as Cheryl Buckman, who has tracked her son's late buses for nearly seven school years, say the fines have not fixed the service.

Why it matters

When buses fail, thousands of Boston families lose work hours and children lose class time, even as the district spends nearly $200 million a year on transportation.

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Key Indicators

86%
Morning buses on time, first month
Share of buses arriving on time at morning drop-off in the first month of the 2026-2027 school year, down 2 points from a year earlier.
83%
Afternoon buses on time, first month
Share of afternoon buses on time in the first month, up 1 point from a year earlier.
95%
District on-time target
The goal set in the city and district's 2022 improvement plan.
$10,500
New fine for blown trips
Assessed against Transdev in the latest enforcement action, reported Nov. 2.
$400,500
Total fines last school year
Penalties assessed against Transdev between March and June 2026.
$200 million
Annual transportation budget
Boston Public Schools spends nearly this amount each year on student transportation.

Voices

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People Involved

Erin Murphy
Erin Murphy
Boston City Councilor At-Large
Pressed BPS on bus performance at the Nov. 2 council hearing and continues to seek an independent review
CB
Cheryl Buckman
Parent of BPS student
Documenting bus issues for nearly seven school years
JT
Joshua Torcivia
Parent of BPS student
Advocating for reliable door-to-door service

Organizations Involved

Boston Public Schools (BPS)
Boston Public Schools (BPS)
School district
Defending its record and contract enforcement after a Nov. 2 City Council hearing

The district responsible for educating about 49,000 students in Boston.
Transdev
Transdev
Private transportation contractor
Facing fines and scrutiny over service and safety

An international private company that operates Boston's school bus fleet.
Boston City Council
Boston City Council
Municipal legislature
Held a hearing on bus performance Nov. 2 and is pressing BPS for answers

The legislative body for the City of Boston.
MB
Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
State education board
Reviewing request for independent review

The state board that oversees K-12 education in Massachusetts.

Timeline

June 2026 November 2026

3 events Latest: November 2nd, 2026 · 1 week ago

  1. BPS fines Transdev additional $10,500 for blown trips

    Latest Accountability

    The new fine adds to more than $400,000 assessed last school year. Parents and city councilors call the system broken and failed.

  2. Boston City Council holds hearing on school bus performance

    Accountability

    Councilors questioned BPS as data showed 86% of morning buses on time in the first month of school and 83% in the afternoon, both short of the 95% target.

  3. BPS assesses $400,500 in fines against Transdev

    Accountability

    The penalties cover March through June; the district says the incidents represent less than 0.5% of bus runs.

Scenarios

1

Boston Public Schools replaces Transdev with new bus contractor

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Parent advocates, city councilors

After repeated fines and continued complaints, BPS issues a new request for proposals and awards the contract to a different vendor. Trigger: continued poor on-time performance or a major safety incident. The city council could push for this outcome if fines fail to improve service.

2

Transdev improves performance, BPS fines stop

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: BPS and Transdev

Under financial pressure, Transdev fixes driver shortages and on-time performance consistently exceeds 90%, leading BPS to reduce or eliminate fines. Trigger: monthly on-time performance above 90% for three consecutive months. The district says this is already happening.

3

State orders independent review of Boston school bus system

Uncertain Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: City Councilor Erin Murphy, BESE

Murphy has asked BESE to review the system. BESE could launch a formal review, leading to state-mandated reforms or oversight. Trigger: BESE vote to conduct review. Chair Craven says the board is already reviewing the request.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

September 2019

Boston school bus breakdown and apology (2019)

A bus from Match Charter School in Hyde Park broke down after leaving school, leaving students stranded for hours. Parents were not notified, and some called police. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius apologized and said the district would add call center staff.

Then

The district promised better communication but did not fundamentally change its transportation system.

Now

Bus reliability problems persisted, leading to the current accountability push.

Why this matters now

Shows that communication failures and breakdowns are recurring, not one-off, and that previous fixes were insufficient.

April 2025

Hyde Park fatal school bus crash (April 2025)

A Transdev school bus driver was charged in a crash that killed 5-year-old BPS student Lens Joseph. A ProPublica/WBUR investigation later found dozens of serious crashes involving Transdev buses were missing from a federal safety database.

Then

U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Maria Cantwell called for a federal investigation into the reporting gaps.

Now

Raised questions about contractor safety and transparency, adding to pressure for oversight.

Why this matters now

Demonstrates that the stakes go beyond punctuality and that contractor accountability includes accurate safety reporting.

Sources

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+2
Boston.com WCVB NBC Boston Boston Herald Boston 25 News Dorchester Reporter WBUR Boston.com