Letter from ACLU and R.I. Center of Justice calls for action to address Providence school bus transportation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and R.I. Center for Justice are requesting that officials take more immediate steps toward ensuring that students have appropriate transportation.

In a letter sent to school officials, members of the ACLU and R.I. Center of Justice claim that Dattco “failed to cover numerous routes and left many students with disabilities waiting for hours at bus stops or denied transportation home.”

Members of the ACLU and R.I. Center for Justice claim that parents contacted their organization and said they would need to pick up their child due to the lack of bus service, and the letter sent to officials further notes that for students dealing with medical needs, the delay in transportation can have a significant affect on their health. 

Both organizations have demanded the following, and has called Providence schools to take the following steps, according to their letter: 

1. Work with the Governor to have an executive order issued that would allow Dattco to temporarily operate buses with bus drivers licensed in other states.
2. Post information on RIDE’s website each evening with information about the status of bus route coverage for the upcoming school day.
3. Create an alternative plan for every route without a driver to ensure that each student gets to and from school on time.
4. Provide a dedicated phone line for parents to call to troubleshoot and resolve problems.
5. Provide financial compensation to parents forced to drive their children to school or to hire car services to get them to school on time.
6. Provide compensatory education for any time that students miss school because of the lack of, or delay in, busing.

According to a release, members from the ACLU and the R.I. Center of Justice said that officials from RIDE have asked Dattco for the issue to be fixed within ten days. 

Members of the ACLU and R.I. Center for Justice are asking for a response from RIDE on their letter tomorrow afternoon, and if it’s not immediately resolved, the matter “could lead to litigation.” 

 The letter can be found here.