Notwithstanding the Leader of the Opposition speaking to the Minister of Education to point out that the government withdrew contracts on a partisan political basis and awarded the bus contracts to people with no buses, nothing was done to protect the children and ensure that they got safely to and from school.
Today, concerned parents and residents in the Behring Point and Cargill Creek communities have expressed outrage at the unsafe conditions under which students in those communities are being transported to and from school under the government’s public school bus transportation system.
The pictures we have seen show children sitting two to a seat and also on the floor of the bus. This is obviously unacceptable not to mention unsafe.
With rising COVID-19 cases in Central Andros, this is unhealthy, unsafe, irresponsible and totally unacceptable. This is also a gross violation of the Ministry of Education’s safety protocols for all school bus contracts.
It is clear that with the awarding of these politically motivated bus contracts, some of the qualifying criteria and safety standards were ignored out of political expediency. The health, safety and welfare of your children are being sacrificed in the process.
These new contracts should be withdrawn forthwith and the old contracts restored for at least one year and done so in the public interest and for the safety and well being of the children.
The Minister of Education must intervene urgently and correct this most vexing situation and illegal practice.
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