Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore

Da Balmer Sun, Taxicab vendors get $600K annual contract with Baltimore schools after investigation into fraudulent charges

The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners unanimously approved a transportation contract Tuesday for two taxicab services that were investigated last year for potential fraudulent charges to the system.

Richard Henry, the state’s inspector general for education, found taxicab vendor WHC MD, LLC, which does business as zTrip, billed city schools for over $631,000 in charges between 2018 and 2022 that did not match attendance records. The audit also found Silver Cab, which does business as Diamond Cab, charged $2,255 for transporting five students who had already graduated.

The school board approved an annual $600,000 contract for the next three years for zTrip and Silver Cab without discussion Tuesday. A total of four vendors bid on the contract.

“Our original investigative audit proved that the [BCPSS] taxi transportation contract lacked the fundamental elements of checks and balances. These elements are critical for ensuring service obligations and accountability,” Henry said in a statement Tuesday. “I hope that [BCPSS] has addressed the issues identified by my office in this proposal and ensures that past practices are not repeated.”

Henry referred the case to the Maryland Attorney General’s office last year. A spokesperson for the office did not respond to a question about the status of the referral.

BCPSS pays for taxi rides for a small percentage of students, such as those who are homeless, in foster care, have physical or intellectual disabilities, or who live in areas that lack bus routes or safe walking paths. The district has school buses and vans but still relies on taxicabs for certain students. The vendors will transport 75 students from April through June 2027.

So, I have a math problem for you to solve. Baltimore pays $200,000 a year for taxi's to carry 75 students to and from school, because, apparently they can't be bothered to arrange for normal school bus service for these students. The companies are accused of cooking the books, by reporting transporting students who already graduated, but the school board unanimously approves the awards anyway. What are the chances of kickbacks being involved?