Specifications include, but are not limited to: Garaging of Vehicles: The Contractor must have access to sufficient garage/maintenance facilities and mechanics to ensure timely repairs so as not to disrupt transportation services. Vehicle Routes: General Information: Bids for the following transportation services are to be listed separately on Bid Form III: Homeless Transportation Services Bid Prices. The Contractor agrees to maintain an accurate master clock, and will insure that each driver will have and use an accurate and dependable timepiece that is synchronized to the master clock. The locations and number of students described in Appendix B represent the School Department’s estimate of service requirements starting August 28, 2023. This information is provided for purposes of bid evaluation only. The School Department reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of students transported and school destinations at any time. The Contractor will provide service for all students to all schools so directed by the School Department or its designee. The Contractor is responsible for permitting only those students or school personnel authorized by the School Department to ride in its vehicles. The School Department or its designee will determine pick-up and delivery points for pupils. The Contractor is required to deliver all students within fifteen minutes before the school’s starting time and to be at the school within 5 minutes of dismissal for student pick-up. The Contractor is responsible for ascertaining the hours that each school is in session by contacting the school directly. In the event of a mid-day cancellation of school due to weather conditions or other unanticipated conditions, the Contractor shall send a vehicle for students within 1/2 hour of notification. The Contractor shall make unscheduled runs, in the event of student illness while at school. Students must be turned over to a responsible school person, a parent, or other individual designated by the School Department. All drivers on regular routes must have driven the route on a trial ‘dry run’ basis prior to transporting students. To the maximum extent possible, the same driver will be scheduled to drive both the morning and afternoon runs of a particular bus. Drivers shall adhere to the time schedule set up for their routes as closely as possible, consistent with the safe operation of the vehicle. Parents will not be allowed to contact the Contractor directly to arrange transportation; the Contractor will refer all comments, issues and / or questions to the Salem Public School’s Transportation Office. Parents will be allowed to contract contractor to report absences. Contractor will provide contact information to families to report expected absences. Information will be provided upon initial service and again following the winter break. Salem Public School’s Transportation Office will provide information to the Contractor regarding the specific drop off and pick up details for each student. At no point will the Contractor or Driver alter these details, without prior, written authorization from the Transportation Office. The Contractor does have the authority to contact student families to arrange pick up and drop off times. The Contractor will inform the parents of the time at which the children will be picked up from their homes. All complaints from parents or riders made to the Salem Public School’s Transportation Department relative to school transportation are to be reported to the Contractor. The Contractor shall submit a written response to all such complaints to the Transportation Office, who may choose to investigate. The Salem School Department reserves the right to make special arrangements with another City to transport certain students to a specific location(s) to which both City’s are servicing students. The Contractor will be paid for all days a student is absent and for which transportation services have been requested, provided student absences have been properly communicated from contractor to transportation department as specified in III.1.M. The Contractor will provide pricing on Bid Form III on a per route basis. Vehicle Specifications Each vehicle will fully comply with all laws and regulations of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Public Utilities applicable to student transportation and 7D passenger vehicles. Age and mileage of vehicles: no vehicle used to transport students shall be more than seven (7) years old during the life of the Contract, nor shall the mileage exceed 120,000 miles. Each vehicle shall be equipped with a portable two-way radio, that allows the driver to be in contact with Dispatcher. This also applies to all substitute drivers. Each vehicle shall be manufacturer rated. Accessories shall include electric door locks, with childproof buttons, safety belts, plus emergency, and safety equipment as required by Federal, State, and Local Laws. The Contractor should be prepared to provide air-conditioned vehicles for students who may require a temperature-controlled climate. The Contractor will be responsible for providing sufficient standby vehicles and/or subcontracted vehicles to provide vehicles at all scheduled times for all runs. Drivers will enforce all federal, state, and safety regulations, especially the wearing of seat belts. The Contractor shall keep all vehicles in good running order and condition and shall furnish all necessary gasoline, oil, grease, tires, maintenance, and repairs during the entire term of the contract. The Contractor agrees to have drivers make all required pre-trip and post-trip daily inspections of the vehicles to ensure the vehicles are in good running order. The Committee reserves the right to require, at the Contractor's expense, a certificate of inspection at any time for one or all of the vehicles under this contract from a garage of the Committee's choosing. The certificate of inspection shall state the condition of the brakes, lights, horns, mufflers, steering gear, windshield cleaners, doors, tires, windows, chassis, bodies, and seats and any and all other parts of the vehicle that contribute to its safe operation. The Contractor further agrees that if any part or parts of any vehicle(s) are found to be faulty or unsafe, the vehicle shall be taken out of service and shall be repaired, replaced or restored immediately. Prior to the opening day of school of each year, the Contractor shall file annually with the Transportation Supervisor an updated copy of Bid Form IV: Description of Vehicles for all vehicles, including spares, which will be used in performance of this contract. No substitution (other than to cover temporary emergencies) may be made throughout the life of the Contract without the prior approval of the Committee. The Contractor will file with the School Department or its designee, copies of vehicle registrations and the most recent Registry Inspection for all vehicles prior to use in this Contract. Copies of all inspections performed during the term of this Contract will be filed with the School Department or its designee. In the event of a breakdown or other emergency, which interrupts regular daily service, the Contractor must be able to provide, to the location of the breakdown, a suitable replacement vehicle and operating within twenty (20) minutes of notification of said breakdown or emergency. The Contractor must report all cases of vandalism in writing to the Salem Public Schools (SPS) Transportation office within two (2) hours of a morning incident or by the opening of school the following day for afternoon incidents. Interior or exterior damages shall be repaired immediately with the Contractor assuming all costs. The Contractor may attempt to recover losses for vandalism from private parties (including students) by working through the school principal and the SPS Transportation Office. Student transportation privileges may only be suspended by Salem Public Schools.
