Senators Push Federal Regulator to Prove School Bus Safety Data Is Accurate

Senators Maria Cantwell and Ed Markey urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to provide evidence of its ability to accurately detect unsafe private companies that operate school transportation services. The letter from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee highlights concerns about federal regulations and Transdev, a large public transit operator implicated in multiple deadly crashes.

The investigation by WBUR and ProPublica found that dozens of deadly collisions were missing from Transdev's safety record, including a tragic incident where a Boston kindergartner was killed by his own school bus. The senators requested documents from FMCSA detailing how they ensure school bus safety data accuracy, guidance for law enforcement on reporting incident organizations, and reasons behind the apparent drop in enforcement actions against companies under the Trump administration.

The FMCSA has acknowledged the senators' concerns and is currently investigating the matter. Transdev has stated that safety is its top priority and that all incidents are thoroughly investigated. The senators aim to obtain records of all inspections and crashes related to Transdev by August 12, emphasizing the importance of accurate data for proper enforcement of unsafe companies.