Re-upholstered bus seats vandalized anew

Despite several appeals from the Public School System, students seem to remain indifferent and have once again vandalized the re-upholstered seats of their school buses.

PSS associate commissioner for administrative services David M. Borja said yesterday that bus drivers found fresh slashes on school bus seats last week.

Bus supervisor Herman Santos said yesterday that five of the eight school buses that were vandalized last April have been re-upholstered but have regrettably been vandalized again. “Now we’re going back to duct tape again,” he said.

Borja earlier said that PSS is on top of the repairs on the eight school buses that were found vandalized and in different states of disrepair in April. He said school bus drivers are now keeping a closer eye on their vehicles.

Santos said, though, that no matter how strict they are in implementing bus rules among students and reminding them about keeping the vehicle clean, by the time they park the school buses at the bus depot in Lower Base, the drivers would still find slashes and cuts on the new upholstery.

“This is a continuous problem,” admitted Santos, who blames the students for the persistent damage to the buses. He said parents should exert extra effort in instilling good values in their children.

Borja said he finds it hard to believe that schoolchildren could be so “disrespectful” to school property.

Last month, PSS submitted purchase requisitions to two upholstery vendors for the repair of seat covers and cushions that were found badly tattered and ripped when Borja and other PSS officials inspected the buses in mid-April.

Borja said they were able to redirect some money from their operational funds for the repair of the buses. He said they were able to get a very fair price quote from the vendors and that PSS was happy that vendors were very helpful.

He said the two purchase requisitions for the re-upholstery of the entire fleet of eight school buses cost between $15,000 to $16,000.

Borja said the repair of the seats and cushions were done on weekends as the schoolchildren have little or no alternative means to go to school and return home.

As it is, he said the eight school buses are already doing double time to ferry passengers to and from schools. Now they are down to three buses for the re-upholstery work.

Borja said problems with the buses, whether it is mechanical or otherwise, are immediately addressed by PSS.

Abraham Quitugua, the sole bus mechanic, said he quickly fixes problems on the engines of the buses so that schoolchildren could be picked up on time and safely.

Vandalism on school buses has been a perennial problem, forcing the PSS to spend up to $60,000 every year just to replace the torn upholstery, clean up, and repair the body of the vehicles.