A group of bus companies sued the Department of Education today, claiming that the city has violated competitive bidding statutes by contracting with a company known to have bribed school bus inspectors.
Members of the Panel for Educational Policy approved a three-year contract with Logan Bus Co. at a meeting last night. Steven Shore, an attorney representing the rival bus companies — among them Amboy Bus Co. and Pioneer Transportation Corp. — warned panel members that approving the contract would lead to an immediate legal challenge.
Asked why the contract had not been competitively bid, the DOE’s general counsel, Michael Best, said competitive bidding would have been too difficult because all of the city’s school bus contracts expired at the same time. The new contract with Logan allows for staggered expiration dates in the future.
Shore’s affidavit is below.