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Transportation partner Reliance reports fleet and rideshare growth, higher-than-usual accidents
Summary
Reliance Student Transportation told the board it is running about 100 routes, 64 vehicles and 23 rideshare vans for four districts; the vendor reported 12 accidents year-to-date, four DOT-reportable, and said drivers feel burdened by non-driving responsibilities despite training on issues such as child abuse reporting and human trafficking.
Reliance Student Transportation and Dallastown administration updated the board on transportation services on March 20, reporting growth in rideshare van usage, new vehicle deliveries and an uptick in accidents.
Reliance representative John Powell (introduced at the meeting) said the operation is running about 100 routes using 64 buses and 33 non-wheelchair vans plus three wheelchair vans. Reliance is adding new buses and vans; Powell said the contractor ordered five buses (four conventionals and one transit-style) and might receive two rather than one of a particular model because of favorable pricing and timing.
The contractor’s rideshare program has expanded from four vans at launch to 23 vans today, serving four school districts and transporting 121 students across 22 routes; 57 of those riders are Dallastown students. Reliance said rideshare serves 28 different schools and is used for transportation of students in special-education programs and by athletics, band and JROTC.
Reliance reported roughly 12 accidents in the recent period; about seven were deemed the contractor’s fault, four were not, and four were DOT-reportable (incidents involving tow, ambulance or hospitalization). No student injuries were reported in the contractor’s summary. The vendor described one incident where a driver had a medical emergency and others where two cars collided and struck the bus. Reliance emphasized the importance of returning to basics—safe driving and student security—while acknowledging drivers receive additional training on topics ranging from child abuse reporting (every five years) to identifying indicators of human trafficking.
Dallastown administration added that 63 students are transported through the Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU) contracts and that the district recently added Faithful Transport to help with outlier routes; 11 students are currently assigned to Faithful Transport. Administrators also praised the district’s vans (purchased by the district) for frequent use: since deployment the four vans logged 324 uses in 200 calendar days, running about 62% of those days and providing notable support for special education, athletics and band.
Board members asked clarifying questions about training and incident reporting. Reliance and administration said drivers are CDL holders and receive required trainings; they reiterated a focus on safety and the goal to reduce accidents to zero over time.
No formal action was taken; this item was listed as informational.
