Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper took a ride on a school bus Wednesday morning to see why buses have been running behind schedule.
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Like many buses this school year, the one that Wu and Skipper rode on arrived after instruction began.
“Today we arrived six minutes after school start time which is an improvement from how it’s been [before],” said Wu.
Wu said that one reason for the delays could be attributed to the wave of drop-offs that build up during the morning rush hour.
Skipper told WBZ NewsRadio that bus drivers are not only facing challenges on the road, but also getting adjusted to new technology.
“We’re really wanting to adjust to embrace A.I. technology as a way to get that efficiency and get every kid to school on time,” Skipper said.
In addition to morning rush hour problems, the new bus tracking app has caused some delays. The app was designed to reduce travel times and unnecessary waiting.
“We would ask [BPS] parents, if your [children] are not going to take the bus on a particular morning, please cancel it so the bus driver doesn’t take extra minutes to wait at the stop,” Skipper added.
BPS officials have asked parents to notify their child’s driver via the Zum app at least two hours before the scheduled pickup time to avoid unnecessary wait times.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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