Today shocking news came for Acton with the announcement of a loss of another staple in our community.
Tyler Transport, which has been serving Acton for over 70 years, and has offered impeccable service and an outstanding track record of getting our children to school on time, announced they will be ceasing all vehicle operations starting June 30'th 2018. This is a huge blow to the entire community.
"This procurement process is a one size fits all. This process does not work as there are unintended consequences. This does not only affect Acton but other small, rural, family operated community bus companies." Mayor Bonnette said.
He went on to say " Last year we heard of many bus companies in the GTA couldn’t find drivers and students were delayed and some stranded. Even this year ( I will read the Brampton Guardian Feb. 14th where the School board has budgeted over 270,000$ to hire extra staff to watch over the students because of lack of drivers. ) We never had the problem with Tyler as I said 98% on-time record. Probably the highest rate in Ontario yet the Student Transportation Competitive Procurement Review Advisory Team didn’t seem to care. Tyler Transport is one of maybe three school bus companies in Ontario who pays benefits to their drivers. They never had delays due to lack of bus drivers. These stories populated GTA newspapers all last year. Was this taken into account, no. "
Beyond bus transportation, Tyler also provides the Activan service in our community, "a specialized transportation service intended for seniors age 65 and older, and persons with disabilities residing within Halton Hills."
Today Tyler Transport released a press statement saying "
It is with great sadness that we share Tyler Transport Limited will be ceasing all vehicle operations on June 30, 2018.
Recently, Halton Student Transportation Services completed a Request for Proposal for student transportation services. The RFP is for a new contract that commences for the 2018 school year through 2028. Tyler Transport Limited did participate in the RFP process and we were not denied the option to bid. However, we were unsuccessful. After considering all of our business options, we have decided that this is the best course of action for our family and we are doing our utmost to support our staff with their future endeavors.
We are very proud of our company’s history which started in Acton on May 24, 1929 and continued when we added our school bus division in 1948.
We are even prouder to have employed thousands of staff, transported product across North America with our trucking division and thousands of passengers with our bus division every year. We have so many wonderful memories, stories, pictures and more.
It has been a very emotional time for our family and staff. However, as we continue our current contracted services, we want to assure all of our customers that we will maintain the service and safety that you know and expect from us.
We thank you for your kind words and support. We truly love our community and will continue to be a part of it.
Angela Tyler
Director of Operations
Tyler Transport Limited "
Today we also reached out to The Halton Student Transportation Services, but they have not gotten back to us for comment yet due to their communications person being "in a meeting".
Mayor Bonnette summed it all up in a statement I'm sure most can agree with. "The process has made it worse, not better. This is really disappointing and an economic blow to our town. The Town and the Tyler Family and their employees deserved better".
UPdates:
Tyler Transport released the following statement:
"Please note we have been working co-operatively in a very positive manner with The Town of Halton Hills (Council/Activan), Halton Student Transportation Services and the successful proponent of the RFP. Our common goal is to minimize the impact to our community and staff. We are doing our best for a smooth transition for all parties involved which includes our passengers/customers."
From Procurement Lead and Transportation Services:
Today I was contacted by Halton Student Transportation Services, who directed me to Daniel Tkalcic from the Halton Catholic District School Board who was procurement lead regarding the RFP Process (Request for Proposal). Tkalcic clarified that "while he could not share any specific information regarding the RFP evaluation, the decision to award the new contract to another service provider was in no way reflective of any concerns or dissatisfaction with the services provided by Tyler Transportation."
He informed me that "all RFPs are managed in accordance with the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive." He also stated that "First Canada, operating as First Student, had won the bid based on the evaluation process" and that there was “an intent for minimal impact on the community during the transition. “ But could not comment further as he was not totally sure of the transition process.
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