FAIRFIELD, Calif. — MV Transportation Inc. has purchased New York City school bus operator USA United Fleet Inc.

MV Transportation Inc.'s student transportation subsidiary, Reliant Transportation Inc., assumed the existing bus fleet and four New York City Department of Education operation and maintenance contracts. The company will begin operation of more than 500 bus routes with approximately 600 vehicles beginning with the start of school in New York City on Sept. 8.

The completion of the transaction, valued at over $75 million in revenue, marks the largest acquisition in the company's 36-year history, officials said.

"With MV's extensive passenger transportation experience, this deal represents the beginning of a great partnership not only for the Department of Education, but for New York schools, the city, former employees and of course, the students and their families," MV Transportation CEO R. Carter Pate said. "We are excited to have the opportunity to provide this critical student transportation service in New York and are glad to be able to extend jobs to this dedicated workforce."

MV Transportation, which also operates Access-A-Ride services in Harlem, Staten Island and Brooklyn for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has already started working to transition the service and to qualify the more than 1,200 former USA United employees for employment.

"The job of transporting students is an extremely important responsibility," said MV Transportation Chief Operating Officer/President Kevin A. Klika, who is overseeing the operations for this start-up. "It is our goal to hire as many of the former company's employees as possible. Their existing knowledge of the service and the passengers will help provide for the smoothest transition possible."

MV Transportation employs 14,000 transit professionals and operates more than 200 paratransit, fixed-route, shuttle and Medicaid contracts in 27 states, the District of Columbia and British Columbia.