Delayed Buses: Philly parents say it's been a bumpy road getting kids to school on time

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Some parents of students with special needs in the School District of Philadelphia say ongoing transportation issues involving the district's new bus contractor have affected their children's ability to get to school on time.

Zum, a Silicon Valley-based transportation company, began providing service for the district this school year under a five-year, $483 million contract.

The company promotes itself as a technology and transportation provider, offering a mobile app that allows parents to track their children's school bus rides.

Among the parents raising concerns is Tymeera Hicks, whose 8-year-old son, Asir, attends Green Tree School in West Oak Lane, a school for students with emotional and autistic needs.

Hicks said that on the first day of school, Sept. 3, her son's bus arrived nearly three hours late for pickup.

According to Hicks, school begins at 8:30 a.m., but the bus did not arrive until about 10:40 a.m.

Dismissal that day was at noon, around the time she said her son reached the school.

"They made sure he went to the bathroom and then gave him his school lunch and then put him back on the bus home," Hicks said.

Hicks said transportation problems continued after the first day of school.

She provided time-stamped videos that she said showed her son being picked up around 8:30 a.m. on subsequent days.

"Every day has been something. I've been calling, literally reporting every day since the first day of school. It's been nonstop," Hicks said.

"He has never been picked up on time," said Yook Tiong.

Tiong, of West Philadelphia, said her 19-year-old son, Jose, who also attends Green Tree School but rides a different bus route, has experienced similar delays.

Tiong said her son arrived late to school on most days and, on one occasion, did not arrive home until after 5:30 p.m.

She said the bus-tracking app was not working, prompting her to call Zum for information.

"My son is not verbal. What if they dropped him off somewhere wrong and he doesn't know what's going on," Tiong said.

Jose ultimately arrived home safely, Tiong said.

She said the driver later told her there had been a fight on the bus and that police were called after the bus pulled over.

"The driver had to handle the fight on her own while driving the bus," Tiong said.

The Philadelphia School District declined a request for an on-camera interview.

In a statement, the district said it values parents' concerns and is working with Zum to make adjustments.

The district also said it reviewed on-time performance at Green Tree School following inquiries about the service, but it did not share the results.

A district spokesperson said the district would continue monitoring service at the school and make improvements as deemed necessary.

"I just hope the school district could get better with this, because it has affected a lot of people's lives," Tiong said.

Zum also declined an on-camera interview.

In a statement, the company said it experienced initial challenges at the start of the school year that were resolved within the first week.

The company said "remaining issues are related to routing" and that it is working "with district leadership as improvements are implemented to support reliable service."

"I just want them to get better with their transportation, getting these kids to school and showing that they really do care about these kids," Tiong said.

According to its website, Zum serves 7,500 schools nationwide and reports a 98% average on-time rate.

The company also promotes its app as a way for parents to monitor their children's bus rides in real time.

Hicks and Tiong said the app experienced glitches but improved after questions were raised about the service.

Reports of delayed routes and app-tracking failures have also surfaced in other states, including Rhode Island, Kansas and Illinois. Zum's website says performance improves as the company works with school districts to make operational changes.

"This is my son's right to be in school," Hicks said.

Questions remain about the district's selection of Zum.

When asked what due diligence was conducted before the company was hired, the district said in a statement that the Board of Education authorized the contract but declined to provide additional details.

Full Zum Statement:

"Zum is proud to partner with the School District of Philadelphia to provide safe, reliable student mobility. At the start of the school year, Zum experienced some initial challenges as drivers became familiar with their routes. These issues were quickly addressed and resolved within the first week of school.

The other remaining issues are related to routing. We continue to work closely with District leadership as these improvements are implemented to support reliable service for students and families.

We appreciate the District's partnership in addressing these issues and remain committed to delivering safe, reliable student mobility for Philadelphia students and families every day."