Durham School Services earned a perfect score for a Pennsylvania fleet inspection after government inspectors extensively reviewed a number of parts on each school bus.
The Durham fleets that were scrutinized were in Chester Township, Pennsylvania, and Ottumwa, Iowa, with inspectors taking a close look at the brakes, suspension, tires, exterior lighting and stop arm. The examinations discovered zero violations for Chester Township and only a few violations for Ottumwa.
Durham in Chester Township serves 68 schools with a fleet of 53 vehicles. Forty-two of those vehicles were examined by the Pennsylvania State Police, which has faced considerable pressure from the public to release statewide school bus inspection records.
“Receiving a perfect score from Pennsylvania State Police complements our dedication to our fleet and the safety of our students,” said Steve Shaughnessy, general manager of Durham School Services in Chester Township.
He added that maintaining the fleet to its highest standard takes teamwork. “I am proud of our technicians and mechanics,” Shaughnessy said.
As for Ottumwa Community School District, Durham services nine schools with a fleet of 39 vehicles, all of which were reviewed by the Iowa Department of Education.
According to Durham School Services, while there were no “out of service deficiencies” found, there were three “30-day” cosmetic issues that needed to be addressed, including a missing rated capacity sticker, a dislodged door seal and a limit switch adjustment on a lift. “We apologize for the error,” the company said in a statement.
Jason Knowles, general manager of Durham School Services in Ottumwa, said that the company is dedicated to having the safest vehicles on the road.
“We constantly strive for excellence and this is one more achievement for our team,” he added.
Editor’s Note: This version corrects the original Sept. 27, 2016, version of this story, which reported that according to Durham School Services, the Ottumwa Community School District also received perfect scores. The Iowa Department of Education pointed out to STN shortly after publication that this was not the case. Durham since responded with corrected information.
