Save Ontarios Independent School Bus Operators

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  • Sponsored By:
    Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA)
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Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Save Ontarios Independent School Bus Operators

WHEREAS the Ontario Ministry of Education in collaboration with the School Boards of Ontario is entertaining or proceeding with a Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain transportation services, with the intention of eliminating the current process;

AND whereas this concept strongly favours large international operators who are in a position to underbid local, small, existing independent operations;

AND whereas independent school bus operators form an integral part of the communities in which they operate, and contribute to the social and economic well-being of the community;

AND whereas local school bus operators support other local businesses such as insurance brokers, gas station operators, farming operations, financial institutions, retail outlets, and professional services such as dentists, chiropractors and doctors;

AND whereas school boards already utilize a procurement process where they set the price for school bus services, and this process has proven to be cost-effective;

AND whereas the outcomes of the RFP pilot projects have proven that local bus operators will lose their routes in an RFP process based on price first and quality second;

AND whereas the experience in other jurisdictions has proven that, while there may be short-term cost savings to an RFP process, in the long run the process reduces competition and costs eventually go up when there are only one or two large operators left to tender;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the undersigned Ontario parents, students, community leaders, education professionals and business owners call on the Ontario Government to address the concerns of the Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA), abandon the RFP process, and adopt a process that ensures small and medium-sized school bus companies continue to be able to do business in their communities.

670 Signatures

  • Karen Cameron
  • Maureen Openshaw
    • Comments
    • Keep it Canadian!
  • Ethan Sorensen
  • Mary Stinson
    • Comments
    • Save small business
  • Glenn Stinson
  • Heather Stinson
  • Tony Hanthorn
  • Don Campbell
  • Linda A. Smith
  • Robert Ball
  • Stephanie Pilszak
  • Adam Pilszak
  • Barb Broadbent
  • Bob Broadbent
  • Sue Collins
  • Kelsey Collins
  • Chris Collins
  • Maddy Macken
  • Jordan Collins
  • Carol Collins
  • Graham Pickard
  • Jeff Byvelds
    • Comments
    • After the first tender, most operators will be out of business. After the first tender expires, the price will go higher due to lack of competition. Short term gain for long term pain. We also need to keep businesses in our communities so they support other local businesses.
  • lisa jones
  • Dianne Pallot
  • Kevin Whitteker
  • Keith Devon
  • Robert L. Whitteker
  • Lori ann Morin
    • Comments
    • small companies are part of the comumtity and drivers get to know the kids go to there grad sk and grade 8 and wounld be saddy missed with that great conection between these small companies .
  • Lucille Ball
    • Comments
    • keep small business in Ontario & support our local economy
  • Janice Caicco
  • Deborah Bouchard
  • Theresa Smith
    • Comments
    • save small companies, the backbone of the industry.
  • Donna Karen Reaume
  • Judith Pine
  • Kait Rainey-Strathy
  • Angela Money
  • Sandra Deevey
    • Comments
    • Needed in northern ontario and other far out places
  • Patricia Young
    • Comments
    • The children have a great conection with the drivers. This would be a loss for the children and the community if a larger company takes over. It is important to have this connection in a small community.
  • Judy Bemrose
    • Comments
    • Leave what isnt broken alone again you try to put the small business person out to pasture which isnt right so think about t this long and hard before you do anything we cant afford to lose all these small busineses
  • Kim Smith-Bahry
  • Pat Bahry
  • Lorena Bressan
  • Robert H. Hellinger
  • David Hay
  • george and debbie hawley
  • Val Belair
  • Robin Marshall
  • Lianne
  • Laurie Evans
  • Elaine Whitteker
    • Comments
    • Help save small business