DMV Releases School Bus Inspection Data

The Connecticut Post has a story on how the state Department of Motor Vehicles pulled out of service this past year 24-percent of the school buses owned by Durham School Services, which serves Milford and other towns, and nearly 14-percent of those owned by First Student, which serves Fairfield, Monroe and other municipalities.

All-Star Transportation, which was recently , had the fourth lowest out-of-service percentage with one bus out of its fleet of 499 placed out of service, according to information on the DMV's website. (http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=798&q=456720&dmvPNavCtr=|52460|#52461)

The other three companies that had a better record – Smyth Bus, Salters Express and F.E. Edwin Smyth & Son – had no buses placed out of service though their fleets combined are considerably smaller than All-Star.

MTM, which is owned by three Newtown Owner-Operators and holds Newtown's special education bus contract, had the sixth best out-of-service percentage in the state with one out of its 26 buses placed out of service by the DMV.

DATTCO, which was among the finalists in the Newtown school bus contract bid, had an out-of-service percentage of nearly 9-percent of its fleet of 749 buses. First Student, which was another finalist, is by far the largest school bus operator in the state with nearly 3,000 buses in its fleet.

The figures covers a period from Sept. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011 though the inspections are generally done in August prior to the start of school.

The state agency makes available the statistics for school bus companies and municipalities that operate more than 20 school buses – which would not include the Newtown Owner-Operators who own and drive their own individual buses and the smaller outfits, such as the one owned by Fran McCutchan, of Newtown. Their buses also were inspected but the information was not readily made available on the state's website.

A message was left with the DMV spokesman to obtain more information.