Hamilton school board optimistic there won't be a bus driver shortage

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board is optimistic it won't face a shortage of school bus drivers again this fall, according to Todd White, the board's chair.

"We've spoken to all four of our operators and all of them reported that there are no shortages at this time," said White.

Last year, multiple Ontario school boards were caught off guard by a substantial province-wide shortage of bus drivers. At one point, 18 bus routes in Hamilton didn't have drivers and about a thousand students were facing delays every day.

"We've been planning for this because of what happened last year," said White.

He says the board has been in consistent contact with the four operators who provide their school buses and are pleased with the steps they've taken to help the board address last year's issues.

The busing contractors also have a roster of back-up drivers and drivers in training in case there are any resignations leading up to the start of school.

"A lot of boards were surprised last year, we were one of them," said White. "We don't want to be surprised again."

Last year's shortage also affected thousands of people in Toronto. It even prompted Ontario's ombudsman, Paul Dubé, to open an investigation into the problem. Earlier this month, Dubé concluded the issue was "a systemic, administrative failure on several fronts"

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He referred to the "lapse in safety protocols, which placed young and vulnerable students at risk" in his report as the "most disturbing aspect" of the busing crisis.

White admits that things could still change over the next few weeks, and he can't speak for other school boards, but right now, he says, "we are exactly where we want to be."