The short version
- El Nuevo Día reported that hundreds of students were left without school transport service Tuesday morning in Carolina, Trujillo Alto and San Juan
- Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that Tatito’s Transport Service suspended student transport in Loíza, Trujillo Alto, Carolina and San Juan
- Metro Puerto Rico reported that the company serves schools in Trujillo Alto, San Juan and Loíza and that the government owes about $9.5 million to school transporters
- José Rosado Rolón told reporters the affected company has more than 70 buses serving over 20 schools and is the first of several that may stop operating
Service suspension
Hundreds of public-school students in Carolina, Trujillo Alto and San Juan were left without transportation Tuesday morning after a company suspended operations, El Nuevo Día reported. The president of the Federación de Porteadores Escolares de Puerto Rico, José Rosado, informed the newspaper that there is no strike or protest at this time.
Tatito’s Transport Service suspended the transport of students on Tuesday due to lack of payment by the Department of Education, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported. The company provides services to students in Loíza, Trujillo Alto, Carolina and San Juan. Metro Puerto Rico reported that the company serves educational institutions in Trujillo Alto, San Juan and Loíza.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Carolina travel guide
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Sabemos que todavía queda trabajo por hacer y no pretendemos minimizar la preocupación legítima de quienes han prestado un servicio esencial a nuestros estudiantes
Our translation: We know that there is still work to be done and we do not intend to minimize the legitimate concern of those who have provided an essential service to our students
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Debt claims
José Rosado told El Nuevo Día that the company ran out of liquidity due to a government debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars accumulated over almost six months. He described the company as the one that provides the most services and has collected the least. Rosado said it has more than 70 school buses serving more than 20 regular and special education schools.
The federation president stated that the Department of Education still owes $9.5 million to dozens of companies for prior services, a figure that does not include the current school year. He warned that this is the first of many companies that could cease services soon. Metro Puerto Rico reported that Rosado said several companies have gone months without payment and that transporters are desperate.
Government response
On Oct. 5, Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés acknowledged a debt with school transporters and said the agency was working to secure a disbursement, Metro Puerto Rico reported. He stated that the department had made payments totaling $12 million in previous months and had corrected internal processes causing billing delays.
Ramos Parés said the Office of Management and Budget approved funding during the summer for prior-year debts. He added that the new financial system has presented challenges but that student-related services including school transportation remain a priority.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree that a company suspended school transportation services on Tuesday due to lack of payment from the Department of Education and that José Rosado Rolón is the federation president who spoke on the matter. El Nuevo Día attributes the specific debt amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars accumulated over nearly six months and the figure of more than 70 buses serving more than 20 schools to statements by Rosado and lists the affected areas as Carolina, Trujillo Alto and San Juan. Telemundo Puerto Rico and Metro Puerto Rico identify the company as Tatito’s Transport Service and include Loíza among the municipalities. Metro Puerto Rico and El Nuevo Día report the overall debt to transporters as approximately $9.5 million while Telemundo says almost $9 million. Metro Puerto Rico includes statements from Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés about prior payments and system challenges; the other two sources do not.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many students actually missed school or were confirmed absent rather than simply registered for the service. They do not give the exact amount owed specifically to Tatito’s Transport Service beyond the general description provided by Rosado. No source indicates whether payments have been issued since the Oct. 5 statements or what immediate steps the Department of Education is taking in response to the Tuesday suspension. Future actions by other companies or the timeline for any disbursement are not detailed.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official “¡Colapsó!“: cientos de estudiantes se quedan sin transporte escolar por falta de pago a una compañía
- Reporting “¡Colapsó!“: cientos de estudiantes se quedan sin transporte escolar por falta de pago a una compañía
- Reporting Compañía suspende transporte escolar por falta de pago de Educación
- Reporting Compañía de transporte escolar suspenderá operaciones este martes por falta de pago
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Telemundo Puerto Rico and Metro Puerto Rico each reported on the suspension and the statements by José Rosado Rolón. The overall debt figure of $9.5 million and the Education Secretary’s comments appear only in Metro Puerto Rico while the specific description of the debt to the affected company rests on the account given to El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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