Hamilton school boards warn bus driver shortage will affect local routes
A school bus driver shortage may impact 29 Hamilton area schools with school starting next week.
Hamilton school boards are warning parents there will be a shortage of school bus drivers which will impact children heading back to school next Tuesday.
This is the second year in a row there has been a bus driver shortages to start the school year.
Hamilton-Wentworth Student Transportation Services (HWSTS), which handles transportation for the city's public and catholic schools, estimates that there may be up to 17 routes impacted. These routes service 29 Hamilton- area schools.
Todd White, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) chair, says there will be 12 drivers short come Tuesday, but depending on the circumstances, that number could rise to 17.
Monday, as always the beginning, will always be the worst, and then it only gets better from there.- Todd White, chair, HWDSB
"There are spare drivers, back-up drivers, routes that can be changed to different companies [and] a couple of other factors that could be invovled where those routes could be covered," said White.
In order to cover the remaining routes not covered, White says they might have to get drivers doubling up routes, meaning that once a driver is done one route, they pick up an uncovered route.
He says while they would find ways to cover the routes, there will certainly be delays to and from school.
HWDSB will potentially have 16 schools impacted while the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) may have 13 schools affected by the bus driver shortage.
"Of our 16 schools, there's about 600 students that are affected," says White. He clarifies that it would be portions of those 16 schools that would be delayed.
Morning and afternoon affected
"Some schools could have as many as a dozen buses dropping off and picking up in the morning and after school. So it might only be on one or two buses of those buses, per school," says White.
White says the delays may only occur either in the morning or in the afternoon, but it could be possible that both parts of the day will be affected by delays.
White also says that drivers typically have multiple runs and service more than one school in the morning and afternoon. This way, the same bus and driver can be used for multiple schools.
That's why having a shortage of 17 bus drivers affects so many schools.
"Hopefully come Tuesday, there are some spares available. Hopefully that number 17 is slightly lower, The [bus] companies have a number of drivers in training. So hopefully, as they receive their certification, there's more drivers on the road," says White.
He says the weeks following the beginning of school should see the number of shortages reduce.
"Monday, as always the beginning, will always be the worst, and then it only gets better from there as routes are filled given the last minute news," assured White.
Delays for 16 HWDSB schools, 13 HWCDSB schools
The boards are suggesting parents sign up for e-mail alerts to get notified of delays and or cancellations.
HWDSB Schools potentially impacted:
- Allan Greenlead PS
- Ancaster Senior
- Chedoke
- Dalewood PS
- Dr. J. Edgar Davey
- Fessenden
- Flamborough CENTRE
- Guy Brown
- Lynnwood Hall
- Mary Hopkins
- Mountview
- R.A. Riddell
- Spencer Valley
- Tiffany Hills Elementary
- Waterdown Secondary
- Westdale Secondary
HWCDSB Schools potentially Impacted = 13
- Annunciation of Our Lord
- Bishop Tonnos Secondary
- Cardinal Newman Secondary
- Guardian Angels
- Immaculate Conception
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Our Lady of Peace
- St Anns Ancaster
- St Clare
- St Gabriel
- St Mary Secondary
- St Teresa of Avila
- St Thomas
Better than last year
White says the HWDSB will be communicating with schools as well as families on Tuesday about the delays.
"We don't want students standing for long periods of time at a bus stop or parents late for work," says White.
He says the shortage of bus drivers was greater last year. He says he hopes things will get back to normal before the first week of October.
"Because we are in a better situation than last year, it should be sooner," says White.
As school resumes on September 5, bus delays will also be posted on the www.hamiltonschoolbus.ca website and the websites of any affected HWDSB and HWCDSB schools.