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Academy fined $20.5 million after defrauding NJ Transit for years


go25

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2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

One thing I don’t get is how did Academy benefit from miss-reporting trips on the 119 if they didn’t get funding to operate it, and operated solely off the farebox revenue?

They still have to report the trips because it’s a NJT owned line. The issue is Academy cuts trips and prioritize charters. There’s a reason they never put clever devices(and they were supposed to)in the new mcis; the commuters can’t track them so if the bus don’t show they get on a 63,64,67 or 139. The other issue is not funding for operating costs; it’s again academy making operators available for charters. Academy does not care about there transit lines because the bulk of their money comes from charters with the sport teams contracts. 

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3 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

They still have to report the trips because it’s a NJT owned line. The issue is Academy cuts trips and prioritize charters. There’s a reason they never put clever devices(and they were supposed to)in the new mcis; the commuters can’t track them so if the bus don’t show they get on a 63,64,67 or 139. The other issue is not funding for operating costs; it’s again academy making operators available for charters. Academy does not care about there transit lines because the bulk of their money comes from charters with the sport teams contracts. 

All the more reason for me to say that this fine is far too low...

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13 hours ago, go25 said:

Slap in the wrist. Now that they have agreed to be tracked, I'll give it a few years and if they want to, take back the Hudson County bus routes  at least.

But the question is are they going to put the clever device on the state owned mcis? The 8500s-8600s and 8900s had the clever device. 

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4 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

But the question is are they going to put the clever device on the state owned mcis? The 8500s-8600s and 8900s had the clever device. 

They have to. As part of the fine Academy paid, they agreed to be tracked

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  • 3 weeks later...
6 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

NJT is set to award the contract back to Academy Bus next week.

So your telling me Coach spent all that time and money to train operators for 6 months just to give it back?

Laughable ain't it?! When I read the article on NJ.com earlier today I couldn't believe it smh.  They really let the owner of Academy got off. It's like NJT is laying in the same bed with Academy because they're in the wrong as well. 

At least the drivers now have a shorter trip to Journal Sq, Hoboken Terminal, 91st & Bergenline Ave  and others from Hoboken depot than the Elizabeth garage when it comes to starting trips and dead heading back. 

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17 hours ago, FlxMtroD said:

Laughable ain't it?! When I read the article on NJ.com earlier today I couldn't believe it smh.  They really let the owner of Academy got off. It's like NJT is laying in the same bed with Academy because they're in the wrong as well. 

When you write the bids for maximum efficiency, only a few companies can handle contracts at that scale. In this region, that is First Transit, Coach USA, and Academy. Technically, TransDev could have as well.

Academy was placed in the penalty box. First Transit and TransDev didn't bid. Coach USA did, won it, and choked on it (too few drivers). Frankly, NJT Bus Operations could have done it in an emergency, but the cost increase would have choked them. They can't pull out 25% more money in a hurry.

Yes, I expected this. No, I was not the only one that expected this. Academy can be cost competitive because they have industrialized the process of training new drivers for contracts. That is their superpower. So, they sat there, took their beating publicly, diversified their business, and waited. You can't hammer people you need to keep costs low. It is easier for NJT to manage four or five large contracts than numerous smaller ones. 

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17 hours ago, JAzumah said:

When you write the bids for maximum efficiency, only a few companies can handle contracts at that scale. In this region, that is First Transit, Coach USA, and Academy. Technically, TransDev could have as well.

Academy was placed in the penalty box. First Transit and TransDev didn't bid. Coach USA did, won it, and choked on it (too few drivers). Frankly, NJT Bus Operations could have done it in an emergency, but the cost increase would have choked them. They can't pull out 25% more money in a hurry.

Yes, I expected this. No, I was not the only one that expected this. Academy can be cost competitive because they have industrialized the process of training new drivers for contracts. That is their superpower. So, they sat there, took their beating publicly, diversified their business, and waited. You can't hammer people you need to keep costs low. It is easier for NJT to manage four or five large contracts than numerous smaller ones. 

Abusive relationships are always bad. If this is the best NJT (and the state) can do, expect more of the same bullshit.

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19 hours ago, JAzumah said:

Academy was placed in the penalty box. First Transit and TransDev didn't bid. Coach USA did, won it, and choked on it (too few drivers). Frankly, NJT Bus Operations could have done it in an emergency, but the cost increase would have choked them. They can't pull out 25% more money in a hurry.

Too few drivers??? Even with the promise of bringing back drivers for work (since I know the NYC lines got cut)?  

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14 hours ago, 46Dover said:

Too few drivers??? Even with the promise of bringing back drivers for work (since I know the NYC lines got cut)?  

Coach USA knows how to run buses. If they can't run them, it is because they do not have the drivers. PPB was offering $10,000 bonuses for new drivers.

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1 hour ago, Cait Sith said:



Word is the 10 will be out of Greenville, and the 119 will be out of Meadowland

I always said after coach usa stop it years ago that greenville should have taking 10 and 99s at the time...few members here said greenville is at capacity and cant take anymore which i somewhat agreed to...so now greenville able to handle a 24 hour rt with they own or some nabis from nwk going to greenville...meadowlands most likely do the overnight portion of the 10 and 119

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5 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

I always said after coach usa stop it years ago that greenville should have taking 10 and 99s at the time...few members here said greenville is at capacity and cant take anymore which i somewhat agreed to...so now greenville able to handle a 24 hour rt with they own or some nabis from nwk going to greenville...meadowlands most likely do the overnight portion of the 10 and 119

In terms of fleet capacity, Greenville is/was at capacity. In terms of work, I have a feeling that the 10 will probably interline with the 80 or 87. The 119 I can definitely see interlining with the 123 and the 125.

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On 3/15/2022 at 1:57 AM, FlxMtroD said:

Wait, I thought the 84, 86 and 89 routes are out of Meadowlands? Did I miss something here? Are they trying to contract those routes out?

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