NEW YORK (Jan. 24, 2007) — The Federal Transit Administration ruled in favor of a group of school bus contractors located in upstate New York after finding a local regional transportation authority violated federal tripper service regulations.

The FTA's Region II ordered the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority to cease and desist from the service "as soon as it is feasible."

In addition to not properly informing the public of the new regular transit bus stops on school grounds (and the fact the public was allowed to enter school property to access them), the FTA also found the RDGTA failed to obtain a federal exemption demonstrating that private school bus companies were unable to provide the student transportation service.

The United Food & Commercial Workers District Union Local brought suit last June against the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority claiming a subsidy agreement with the local school district violated the FTA’s school bus regulation outlined in 49 CFR Part 605. Specifically, the RGRTA was accused of setting up special routes at Rochester Central School District sites to specifically ferry students back and forth from classes, a practice the union claimed had displaced 70 regular education routes provided by Laidlaw Education Services.

The RGRTA had been providing legal tripper service for the past 12 years. Then, last year, the school district decided to replace the Laidlaw routes with new transit routes and new stops on school grounds, and it signed the $5.9 million subsidy agreement with RGRTA.

“It’s this expanded service that was the subject of the FTA ruling,” said Robin Leeds, a school bus industry specialist with NSTA. “Unfortunately, what the transit agency has said is its their intention to tie this up with appeals until the end of the year or beyond.”