a) The Contractor shall develop an inspection schedule and conduct two inspections on each school bus listed on Service Areas I, II and III (see Attachment 9), during the period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, and each subsequent renewal period thereafter. The Contractor shall develop a schedule that includes, but is not limited to, the number of inspectors that will conduct inspections at each location. The Project Director will have final authority to set the inspection schedule. b) The Contractor shall complete two rounds of school bus inspections as described in the most current Alaska School Bus Safety Inspection Manual (Attachment 5) as amended. The Contractor shall complete the first round starting the period of July 1 - December 31, and each subsequent renewal period thereafter. The Contractor shall complete the second round during the period of January 1 - June 30, and each subsequent renewal period thereafter. The Contractor shall schedule inspections such that an individual bus receives an inspection approximately every 6 months. The Contractor shall adhere to the inspection schedule as closely as possible. The Contractor shall report any deviations to the inspection schedule to the Project Director in writing. c) The Contractor shall accommodate the bus operator, when possible, in scheduling inspections that may have to be done on weekends, nights, holidays, and/or during school vacations. The Contractor shall notify operators as soon as possible in the event of changes due to weather or other uncontrollable circumstances. Early arrivals at an inspection site should be mutually agreed upon, whenever possible, by the Contractor and the bus operator, and reported to Project Director. d) The Contractor shall send certified return receipt letter or verified electronic message along with the inspection calendar to all school districts contact persons and all bus operators a minimum of 14 days before each round of inspections, with copies to the Project Director. If a change in the inspection calendar occurs, the Contractor shall notify all sites affected by the changes in writing as soon as the changes are scheduled. If the State receives complaints about notification of inspections schedule or the process of inspections, then the Project Director may act as mediator and may require the Contractor to change procedures and/or scheduling.
