Company to provide transportation for more than 270 of the district’s routes
CINCINNATI — Columbus City Schools, the largest school district in Ohio , has awarded a new three-year school transportation contract to Cincinnati-based First Student, Inc., the nation’s leader in student transportation. The contract begins July 1, with First Student operating more than 270 of the district’s routes.
“We have been working with the district for several years, and are very pleased to continue to provide Columbus City Schools and its students with safe and reliable transportation,” said Linda Burtwistle, president of First Student. “At First Student, each of our highly-trained drivers and staff members are dedicated to providing the safest transportation possible, as well as outstanding customer service to the students, parents and schools within the district.”
First Student will transfer additional buses to the district to complement the fleet currently in place. Each bus serving Columbus City Schools will be equipped with safety features such as GPS tracking systems, the Child Check-Mate electronic reminder system designed to ensure no child is left unattended on a bus, and crossing gates to allow children to cross in front of the bus at a safe distance.
The buses will also be equipped with an electronic vehicle inspection component which immediately alerts maintenance staff to any maintenance issues during each driver’s daily safety inspections. This ensures the buses are operating at maximum safety and efficiency.
First Student is part of Cincinnati-based FirstGroup America, North America’s largest transportation company.
About First Student
First Student, Inc., a part of Cincinnati-based FirstGroup America , is the leader in safe, reliable, sustainable transportation and is the largest provider of student transportation services in North America . FirstGroup America was recently awarded the National Safety Council’s 2009 Green Cross for Safety Medal in recognition of its commitment to safety and outstanding safety record. First Student safely transports more than 4 million students with a fleet of 60,000 yellow school buses in North America . For more information, please visit www.firststudentinc.com or follow us on Twitter.
