Baumann & Son Bus Company

This company is by far the worst bus company I've seen in years. I grew up in Hicksville area and had gone to schools there but this new company has no idea how to manage the routes, their drivers, how to respond to emergencies, nor have any concern for the safety of our kids. My kid ended up riding in a bus for more than 90 minutes on a route that should have taken him 15 minutes to his school. He's only 5 years old and I got a call from the school saying he hasn't arrived for more than an hour from the time when he should have arrived. While trying to find out what's happened to the bus, I must have called the bus company at least 20 times to get a hold of one of their managers, Josh, Eddie or Andrea. None of them were available to take the call. The wait to speak to anyone from the bus company is ridiculous as well. I've been on hold for at least 30 minutes at times while trying to find out what happened to the bus and my kid who was an hour late to school. The operators, when we do get connected, just tells us to call the school district to file a complaint. That's it. Josh, when we finally did connect, told us that what's in the past is in the past. They can't do anything about it and told us to look for better service in the future instead of recognizing the problem and trying to fix the issue. The drivers changed at least 5 times in the 2 weeks period without any notice. The drivers don't call the school nor their office when they were late. No protocol, no communications, not a single person seems to care about the safety of our kids. I can't no longer trust this company to take my kid to school for the sake of my kid's safety. I've decided to drive my kid to school every morning instead (and be late to work every morning). I pay my taxes and it's the law to provide transportation for students but obviously there's no accountability for providing bad services with no care for the well being of the kids and the management team has no idea how to run a transportation business. The school district basically told us this is the only company they can hire for now, so we're stuck. We'll be planning to move out of the town soon as possible. My friends in other districts have their drivers stamp the time when they drop off the kids, call in when late, have video monitors in the bus and have house visits before the route begins by introducing themselves. Why can't these companies adapt to these great services out there and enforce them properly? Mr. Baumann was never reachable FYI. He does not exist and his managers are poorly trained with no experience in managing a transportation company.

Review: This is a school bus company whose drivers are not always familiar with the route and take a long circuitous route to get my child home. They have failed to get the proper permits to drive on the local parkways which would cut the travel time in half. When the bus is late to the school in the afternoon, they do not provide accurate information to the school regarding estimated time of arrival. Today, I picked up my son from school over an hour after school was over because the bus failed to show up. They provided conflicting information regarding the reason why it was late and when it would actually arrive.Desired Settlement: I would like the bus company to rectify the problem by ensuring that their bus drivers are given enough time between their assignments to make sure they are on time. In addition, they should submit the necessary documents in order to receive permits to take the parkways. If they are unable to secure permits, they need to assist their drivers in finding the quickest alternate routes. If they are unable to do that, they should relinquish the route to another bus company that has the proper permits and drivers that are familiar with the area and are able to find the quickest route.

In the event that there are unforeseen circumstances and the bus is running late, I expect the company to call both the school and parent to provide the most accurate information available so that informed decisions can be made. If there is an extended delay, a replacement bus should be dispatched immediately.