LYNN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — While a pause in school bus service continues in Lynn Public Schools, the company that provides the busses said it's because the district hasn't paid its bill.
According to North Reading Transportation CEO John McCarthy, the company has not been paid by the district since March of 2020, despite providing some service to the school during the pandemic.
McCarthy said they worked out fixed-rate agreements with most of their other customers and municipalities when schools were closed in March of last year, but the city of Lynn just stopped paying and insisted on receiving discounts.
The company is now suing the district for breach of contract over the incurred costs during the times school buildings were closed.
"To be clear, North Reading Transportation is planning to perform whether or not the City pays no matter how long it takes or how many routes each driver has to run," an attorney representing the company said in a statement. "However, the best way to eliminate any uncertainty in this situation would be for Lynn to pay what it owes so that NRT can use a large share of that money to pay premiums to the drivers."
Lynn school officials previously alleged that the bus routes were stalled because of a shortage in bus drivers. The pause is service has been in effect since the district gradually began reopening schools for full time, in-person learning earlier this month, impacting hundreds of students who rely on the transportation.
The district has said it plans to restore the service by May 12, 2021.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)