We want to begin by offering our sincere apologies for what we know has been an ongoing string of inconveniences as a result of our current bus service problems.
Providing reliable Village transportation is one of our core responsibilities and recently we have been falling short of expectations. We want to take a moment to reveal the causes of our recent issues, but more importantly review the steps we are taking to address the problems.
How we got here
Our bus services are provided by a company called TransDev. You may be more familiar with the name First Transit. (TransDev recently acquired First Transit.) CVE Master Management contracts with TransDev to provide buses and drivers. While our agreement with TransDev also specifies they are responsible for repairs and maintenance, we fully understand that as a resident, you rightfully hold us responsible for transportation. We agree that regardless of any agreement we may have with TransDev, the buck stops with CVE Master Management.
You may recall, within the last year several new buses were added to our fleet to replace older, aging vehicles. When we designed the new buses, we included several custom upgrades. These included stronger wheelchair lifts and the ability to "kneel" (lower) the bus to make boarding and exiting easier.
The inclusion of the kneeling equipment created unanticipated mechanical problems for which the manufacturer did not anticipate. These problems have since been addressed. However, we are now falling victim to problems associated with the Ford engines in the buses.
The Ford Motor Company has been experiencing problems worldwide with the heavy duty engine in our buses. As a result, several of the new buses have been taken out of service and sent to Ford for repairs. This has created two problems. First, it has forced us to put several of the aging, previously retired buses back on the roads. Second, it has reduced the numbers in our fleet so we no longer have extra buses on the property ready to go in case of a mechanical problem.
What we are doing to address the problems
We are now taking several steps to ensure we can provide you with consistent, reliable transportation until the current problems are solved.
First, we are renting temporary buses to fill in on the routes. These buses will ensure we have enough vehicles to cover all routes at all times. We hope to have signage on the buses so you know they are CVE buses, but because we do not want to delay their deployment, you may be picked up by an unmarked bus at first. (Please keep in mind these temporary rented buses may not have the enhanced features we put in our new fleet.)
Second, following discussions with TransDev, two additional mechanics have been brought in for the sole purpose of servicing our older fleet. This will reduce the amount of time an older bus will be out of service in the event of a mechanical issue.
Third, we are now requiring TransDev to provide us with daily service updates to ensure we can quickly and proactively address any future service issues.
As a result of these steps, TransDev says it will be able to provide on time coverage of all routes beginning tomorrow.
Again, we offer our apologies for what we know has recently been a frustrating experience. We are hopeful the steps put in place will eliminate any future service interruptions.
As always, you can always contact us by emailing customerservice@cvedb.com.
Thank you for your previous patience and your understanding.
Respectfully,
CVE Master Management