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Governor Togiola wants to fix school bus problem with $20M loan
Come July when the Fono reconvenes for its fourth regular session, Governor Togiola Tulafono will make known his wish that funds from the $20-million-dollar loan from the American Samoa Government Employees’ Retirement Fund be utilized to upgrade the school bus fleet for the local Department of Education.
Togiola made the announcement during his weekend radio program this morning, in response to a caller who said that kids from his family didn’t attend school last week because of scheduling problems with school bus transportation.
Togiola said that in July, one of the things he will include on the list of projects to be funded with the $20M loan will be the DOE school bus fleet.
The Governor estimates that at least $1 million will be needed to equip the existing DOE fleet with new buses, as well as spare parts. He noted that some of buses are more than a decade old, hence making it very hard to get them repaired and back on the road.
According to the Governor, DOE is finding it difficult to repair some of the buses as they were purchased for a much lower price from the US General Service Administration (GSA), which does not provide spare parts, therefore making it difficult to find the right off-island company from which the spare parts can be obtained.
Meanwhile, Senate President Lolo Moliga has also expressed concern over the school bus problem, concerns that were raised through a letter to Governor Togiola Tulafono in which he described the school bus issue as a “potentially dangerous situation.”
According to Lolo, the Senate is ready to support plans the Administration may have, in addressing the shortages of school buses. He said inquiries have revealed that of the entire school bus fleet, only 10 buses are fully functional and are in compliance with safety standards. But the information contradicts figures from the DOE main office which claims that a total of 12 buses are transporting the territory’s children.
Lolo said the paramount concern is the safety of the school children, and an appropriate investigation is yet to be conducted to determine the possibility of using private buses to help resolve the current problem.
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