DATTCO Inc., a school bus contractor based in New Britain, Connecticut, is facing the devastation brought on by the pandemic as reported by Hartford Courant.
Donald DeVivo, president of DATTCO, hosted a press conference with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, during which they addressed the rising concerns that are looming over the bus industry. They also voiced their support for the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act, a proposed $10 billion relief package that would give support to bus companies nationwide, including the school bus industry.
During a normal school year, DATTCO’s 1,300 school buses would be transporting over 100,000 students to and from class. But those numbers ar e much more uncertain this fall as many school districts move to an online or hybrid method of teaching. DATTCO reportedly laid off many of its employees when the pandemic crisis began in March. Bus drivers are now facing severely affected incomes as hundreds of school buses sit unused in parking lots.
DeVivo reportedly said he hopes that the relief act is put into effect soon.
“It’s not just us, it’s all over the country. We need some relief just to get through it, to get to the other side when things open up again. We need a bridge to the reopening,” he said.
