Photo above: The final positions of the transit bus and school bus. The school bus first struck a passenger vehicle before crossing the center lane and colliding with the transit bus. (Photo courtesy of: Maryland Transportation Authority Police)

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an urgent safety recommendation to Baltimore City Public Schools requesting that the Maryland State Department of Education have an independent and neutral third party conduct a performance audit of the Baltimore City Public Schools’ transportation department. The urgent recommendation was accompanied by a second safety recommendation seeking corrective action to improve internal controls to ensure that all school bus drivers meet qualification standards and do not pose any safety risks.