BOSTON, Mass. — Roughly a month into the school year, families of students and local leaders are sounding the alarm about “unreliable” school buses.
Data obtained by Boston 25 News shows that during the first seven days of the 2026-27 school year, Boston school buses were on time for morning drop-off an average of 80% of the time. During the same period last year, the average was 83%.
Carol Benjamin is the grandmother and caretaker of three children who attend three different district schools. Two of her students have special needs, but all three reportedly dealt with unreliable buses to and from their Dorchester home.
“If you don’t do a regiment and a routine, it does destroy them,” Benjamin said Tuesday.
Her 9-year-old granddaughter Erin, who is deaf and nonverbal, attends Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Charlestown.
Benjamin said Erin wakes up at 4:30 a.m. for a bus scheduled around 6:10 a.m. That ride can take more than an hour, and Benjamin said the bus is regularly late or sometimes does not show up.
“In the morning it is horrid,” Benjamin said.
Benjamin first reached out to Boston 25 in January, but the transportation problems have only gotten worse, she said.
During an interview Tuesday, her oldest grandchild, Jeremiah, arrived home from Boston Prep around 5:15 p.m. Benjamin said Jeremiah had been dismissed at 3:15 p.m., making the trip home about two hours.
Boston City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy, who has been in contact with Benjamin, called the delays a “huge disruption” and said the city needs to step up.
“When we have a close to $200 million bus system, we need to do better than 80%,” Murphy said.
Fellow Boston city councilor Julia Mejia echoed Murphy, writing in part:
“This disconnect is exactly what we need to address. We are investing significant public dollars into BPS transportation, including tools like the Zum app, and we need to make sure families are actually seeing a return on those investments. We also need to holding Transdev to meaningful account when they continue to fall short of getting our students to school safely and on time.”
Boston Public Schools told Boston 25 in a statement Tuesday:
“We recognize that any delays are frustrating for affected families, and we strive to remain in communication with families to address any concerns. BPS is taking steps to ensure consistent service and prevent disruptions for our students across the district.
There are many factors that can impact on-time performance (OTP) as the school year begins, including traffic conditions, drivers familiarizing themselves with new routes, students and families adjusting to new schedules, amongst others. The OTP achieved so far this school year reflects a strong start to the year and one of the strongest school starts on record. We will continue to closely monitor OTP and push for continuous improvement, as we strive to provide every student with safe, reliable, and on-time transportation to and from school everyday."
Benjamin said the impact can be especially difficult for children who already feel different from their peers.
“You’re already told you’re different, but when a bus doesn’t show up, you really hear it,” Benjamin said.
Murphy said the city may need to consider other contractors if Transdev’s services don’t improve.
Boston 25 News reached out to Transdev Tuesday for comment and additional information and is awaiting a response.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW