School Bus Companies Scrutinized After Alleged DOE Bribes

Last year, a number of Department of Education officials were charged with taking nearly $1 million in bribes from private bus companies. Now the NY Times reports that DOE is examining whether those companies, which transport a fifth of students, "are fit to do business with the city." The companies haven't been charged yet—they are being investigated—but the Times points out, "The city generally avoids doing business with companies that have had a documented role in defrauding it." However, the the bus system is sort of fragile—in early 2007, there are chaos when routes changed, and it seems like school bus companies operate in a world of their own: "The presidents of four of the bus companies said to have paid bribes were also listed as the presidents of seven other bus companies with city contracts, though those companies were not named in the court papers." (Apparently companies share resources.)