Transdev, the company that has operated Boston Public Schools buses since 2013, is one of three finalists for a multibillion-dollar Boston commuter rail contract. Before any decision is made, the public deserves to know the truth about this company's safety record.

In April 2025, a Transdev driver killed 5-year-old Lens Joseph — dropping him off on the wrong side of the street with a flat tire, a broken safety bar, and an expired driving credential. The federal safety database shows no sign Transdev was involved.

That is not an accident. It is a pattern.

Investigative reporters at WBUR and ProPublica found at least 60 fatal Transdev crashes over the last decade across 16 states. The federal database shows only 18 under the company's name. Forty-two fatal crashes — including deaths of pedestrians, cyclists, a nurse, and a kindergartner — have been recorded under the names of government agencies or acquired companies instead of Transdev. Federal regulators flagged this exact problem in a 2016 inspection. Transdev ignored the recommendation to fix it.

A company that has hidden 42 fatal crashes from the regulators responsible for evaluating its safety has no business being awarded a contract to transport hundreds of thousands of Boston commuters.

We're calling on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to disqualify Transdev from the commuter rail contract bidding process until a full independent review of its complete safety record is conducted.