What should have been a quick hop home from school in Flushing turned into a drawn-out ordeal, as parents say a routine afternoon bus run spiraled into hours of confusion and fear. A trip that usually takes roughly 15 minutes for some students stretched to about two and a half hours, relatives said, leaving children and caregivers rattled and in the dark.
The route that day serves three schools, including P.S. 20 in Flushing. Families say a delay at one school combined with street closures from a nearby fire changed the normal order of pickups and drop-offs and pushed the bus onto an unexpected detour. Parents said they were left scrambling for even basic information, according to CBS New York. Relatives report the driver did not explain the situation over the phone, and one 7-year-old, Laylah, repeatedly called home as the ride dragged on.
Parents recorded frightened calls
Laylah's mother and grandmother shared recordings of children on the bus growing more frantic by the minute, begging to use the bathroom and demanding to get off. In one clip, a child can be heard pleading, "Please let me go! Please let me go!" Family members say several older riders used profanities around 6- and 7-year-olds, and that many children were ultimately dropped at a single location because of the ongoing street closures, according to CBS New York.
DOE and carrier say they're reviewing the incident
Logan Transportation, the vendor that operates the route, told parents the driver "followed protocol" and reported being assaulted by a parent at the drop-off location. Laylah's family says they did not witness any such assault. The Department of Education told families it is aware of the driver's allegation and has removed one school from the route while the incident is under investigation. Officials said appropriate actions will follow once that review is complete.
Context: Local carriers under scrutiny
The incident lands at a time when private school-bus contractors across New York are already facing tighter scrutiny. The New York Attorney General recently reached settlements with multiple carriers over illegal idling and pollution at bus yards, requiring cleaner buses and anti-idling measures, according to a release from the New York Attorney General. Federal records from the pandemic era also show Logan Bus Company and related firms received transportation relief funds, underscoring how many smaller operators are woven into city routes; the U.S. Treasury CERTS list names Logan among recipients.
Parents want clearer tracking and faster answers
Families say the Queens bus saga exposed a serious gap in real-time communication. They want clearer, quicker updates from both the DOE and bus vendors whenever there are detours or on-the-fly changes to routes. So far, city officials have given parents only limited information while investigations continue. Families say they plan to keep pressing the DOE for the full results of its review and for better notice the next time a route is altered.
