The president of Durham Transportation told members of the County School Board on Thursday that the company has made vast improvements since the tragic wreck in November that claimed the lives of six Woodmore Elementary students.
Durham, represented by president David Duke, is seeking an extension on its contract with the county schools.
The schools have sought other proposals.
Also, the number of independent bus drivers is being upped from 49 to 69.
And a new transportation director, David Eaves, has been hired by the county schools.
Mr. Duke said the firm has added smart cameras that record the driver and the road each time unusual driving is sensed. A local management team uses DriveCam, video recordings and speed reports to coach driver behaviors.
He said management spends 35-40 hours per week coaching drivers.
From January to March, total coachable events have declined by 19 percent, he said.
A cloud-based complaint management system was also added, the board was told. From December to March, complaints have dropped by 70 percent, it was stated.
Also, 30 new bus monitor positions have been added and driver starting pay has been boosted by 13 percent to $15 an hour. A local full-time recruiter is now on board as well as a second safety supervisor.
Bob Ramsdell, who has been in passenger transportation safety for 27 years, was appointed chief safety officer for Durham.
The local management team includes a regional manager, a general manager, two safety and training supervisors, three operations managers, an assistant manager, a recruiter, a trainer, five PT field trainers, an administrative assistant, three dispatchers and a maintenance supervisor. They have a combined more than 150 years of experience.
Durham has had the county school contract since 2007. It has been in business since 1917.