“`html
NEW YORK, December 26, 2025 – New York City’s school bus system is in crisis, logging over 150,000 complaints during the 2023-24 school year alone. That’s a staggering number, and it points to a deeply flawed system struggling to get kids to class safely and on time.
NYC School Bus System Faces Overhaul Amidst Mounting Failures
A new audit reveals systemic issues with delays, accountability, and technology, disproportionately impacting students with disabilities.
- The city’s school bus system, serving over 145,000 students, is plagued by vendor underperformance and a lack of oversight.
- More than 150,000 complaints were filed during the 2023-24 school year, including over 14,000 no-show pickups.
- the Department of Education failed to collect $42.6 million in penalties for GPS tracking violations in the 2024-25 school year.
- The current routing system dates back to 1994 and is no longer supported.
What’s the biggest problem with NYC’s school buses? The system is failing to reliably transport students, especially those with disabilities, due to outdated technology, poor oversight, and a lack of accountability for bus companies.
New York City Public Schools transports more than 145,000 public, charter, and private school students daily at a cost approaching $2 billion annually. A recent audit by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander detailed deep and long-standing failures within the Department of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT). The report calls for a complete overhaul of a system marked by chronic delays, missed routes, and weak oversight.
During the 2023-24 school year, OPT recorded more than 150,000 service complaints, including over 14,000 instances of buses simply not showing up. Yet, the audit found the department lacked effective ways to analyze these failures, pinpoint the root causes, or hold bus companies responsible.
“For decades, our City’s school bus system has failed our students and families,” saeid Lander.
The audit also found the DOE didn’t collect $42.6 million in penalties for GPS tracking violations during the 2024-25 school year. Adding to the issues, the city continues to rely on a routing system originally built in 1994, with software that hasn’t been supported since 2015. Lander emphasized the consequences ripple through families and schools,with parents perhaps missing work,students missing class and meals,and children with disabilities left stranded.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education stated, “We are committed to addressing the issues raised in the audit and working with our vendors to improve service for all students.” However, advocates remain skeptical, pointing to years of unfulfilled promises.
“Accountability alone is not the path to real change for our students,” said Reynoso.
Disability rights
