The shift to a new contractor to operate 40 percent of Capital Metro’s routes has gotten off to a rough start, according to four bus operators who brought their concerns to Capital Metro’s board of directors Oct. 26. Among those concerns is the lack of health care insurance, bus operator Joseph de la Cruz said. He has worked for the agency for 26 years and said this is his sixth, and worst, transition to a new service contractor. “I really have lost a lot of respect to the staff that recommended MV in place of First Transit,” he said. “… We had a great working relationship and commitment and respect for [First Transit].” On May 27, the Capital Metro board of directors approved a three-year contract with MV to operate and maintain fixed-route bus service, University of Texas shuttles and MetroRapid. That contract began Oct. 1, but as of Oct. 26, MV bus operators told the board they still do not have insurance. Dottie Watkins, senior vice president of bus and paratransit services, said MV had to create a custom health plan with Aetna, and that process took more time than MV expected. Although this is the first she has heard about delays in providing health coverage, Watkins said she is taking the complaints seriously. “We’ll definitely be reaching out to [bus operators] ourselves and directly asking, ‘Hey how are things going?’” she said. “We need the front line to feel supported because they’re the ones that provide the service. For even four people to take their personal time to come complain tells me it’s an issue.” A representative from MV was present at the board meeting but did not address the complaints. Board member Ann Stafford said she is extremely disappointed to hear the transition to MV from First Transit was not smooth as MV had promised. “These people are Cap Metro to our community,” she said. ‘We cannot have this kind of transition and disruption. I speak for myself, but I am very disappointed, and I expect for this to be addressed quickly.” Bus operator Malgorzata Adamaszek showed the board a memorandum dated Oct. 22 indicating open enrollment would begin Oct. 26 online. But bus operator Yolanda Williams said some operators, including herself, do not have home computers. She said using a library computer is not an option because the Internet connection is not secure and open enrollment involves inputting sensitive information such as a Social Security number. Williams said operators do not yet have access to sick or personal days and some have not been paid for overtime. “We want to know why we’re not getting these things that were promised to us,” she said. Watkins said the board’s operations and planning committee will meet Nov. 9 to hear a 30-day report on how the transition went, and she will provide a briefing on ways to remedy issues with the contract. As a last resort, Watkins said if MV does not uphold its end of the contract, Capital Metro may choose to terminate the contract and find a new service contractor, which is a process she warned would not be quick. However, Watkins said MV has been flexible with other issues, such as supplying additional buses last minute for Formula One and maintaining service for two weekends of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, in its first month. “They’ve actually really exceeded my expectations on being able to get the [bus] service out,” she said. “Obviously from a long-term performance standpoint we need them to resolve the concerns of their employees, or it’s not going to be successful.”