GUELPH, Feb. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Family-owned school bus businesses across
Ontario have invited new Education Minister Liz Sandals to join them
for a BBQ at her constituency office on 173 Woolwich Street in Guelph
on Monday February 18th at 12:00 noon.
ISBOA President Steve Hull of Petrolia plans to be in Guelph with his
family. "If Premier Wynne wants to show that she understands rural
Ontario and small business, she can start by undoing the damage the
Liberal government has done to school bussing."
A 2012 Task Force into school bus contracting recommended a moratorium
and an independent review of how school bus routes are awarded.
Minister Sandals' predecessor, Laurel Broten, ignored that report.
Instead, the Ministry of Education continues to pressure school boards
to use a procurement process that would create local monopolies.
Currently 24 small business owners have been forced to take their only
customer to court to get a fair hearing of the legality and
appropriateness of RFP's for this industry. A full trial will take
place in June 2013 in Kingston.
Short-term savings for the provincial government will turn into
long-term loss of businesses for rural Ontario if the Liberal
government continues to force school boards to change their procurement
practices, with no input from trustees.
The Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA) is warning
school officials and parents alike that Queen's Park is jeopardizing
safe, competitive, and sustainable school bus operations. In the short
run, service will suffer. In the long run, rates will skyrocket.
ISBOA President Steve Hull of Petrolia plans to be in Guelph with his
family. "If Premier Wynne wants to show that she understands rural
Ontario and small business, she can start by undoing the damage the
Liberal government has done to school bussing."
According to ISBOA Director Frank Healey, a school bus operator from
Smiths Falls and a plaintiff in the law suit that will be heard in June
in Kingston, the Ministry of Education has failed to do the local
market assessment required by the Broader Public Sector Accountability
Act (BPSAA). "That's the irony of the whole exercise," explains
Healey. "Competitive tendering, when applied to school bussing, will
virtually eliminate the competition that already exists."
The Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA) represents over
100 school bus companies, servicing over 2000 school bus routes across
the province. ISBOA has a website (www.isboa.ca) for advocacy and information. ISBOA's goal is to involve the public
and local trustees in the struggle to preserve competitive rates and
funding for safety in student transportation.
Image with caption: "Nearly 100 school buses circled Queens Park last year when the Liberal government broke their campaign promise and refused to implement the recommendations of a task force into school bus contracting. (CNW Group/Independent School Bus Operators Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130215_C6010_PHOTO_EN_23802.jpg
Image with caption: "A school bus operator from Arthur, ON, whose family business of 60 years was wiped out in a government pilot project, confronts her MPP, Jim Wilkinson, for failing to represent the interests of his rural constituents. Jim Wilkinson was defeated in the October 2011 election. (CNW Group/Independent School Bus Operators Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130215_C6010_PHOTO_EN_23801.jpg
Image with caption: "Over 20 school bus companies across Ontario have gone out of business since the provincial government changed the way it awards contracts. School bus operators are taking the government to court to prevent the confiscation of their businesses. (CNW Group/Independent School Bus Operators Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130215_C6010_PHOTO_EN_23800.jpg
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/02/15/20130215_C6010_DOC_EN_23805.pdf
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/02/15/20130215_C6010_DOC_EN_23803.pdf
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/02/15/20130215_C6010_DOC_EN_23804.pdf
SOURCE: Independent School Bus Operators Association
