Stock Transportation getting extra $1.9M to run more Halifax school buses

The Nova Scotia government hopes that leasing 37 extra school buses in the Halifax area will solve problems experienced by students who are eligible for or wanted a bus ride to school this fall.

Stock Transportation, the company currently contracted to provide the service, will receive an extra $1.9 million to run the additional buses.

Education Minister Zach Churchill told reporters at Province House Thursday the extra help was needed this year to deal with an increase in demand, especially from students who are not entitled to bus service.

"We had an increase in 2,000 applications for courtesy busing, which we're going to try to accommodate," he said.

"We don't want parents to continually experience these frustrations with timing and uncertainty with busing service, so we want to make sure we deal with that in the interim."

Elementary school students who live closer than 2.4 kilometres from school and high school students whose homes are located less than 3.6 kilometres away are supposed to walk but can be accommodated if a bus has room.

"These students are always considered courtesy students and the service may be discontinued at any time," according to the busing policy in place in Halifax.

Churchill said that policy is being reviewed and this measure is an interim solution.

"They're not guaranteed, but we obviously want parents and students to have access to the services that they believe are important to get their kids to and from school," he said.

Opposition critics welcomed the news, although both New Democrat Claudia Chender and PC MLA Tim Halman said the government should have foreseen the problems and acted sooner.

"This is a government that is always two or three steps behind," said Halman. "Better late than never."

"I think it's good the department is doing something to address the enormous challenges we've had with busing this year," said Chender.

"I'm glad we're seeing money for courtesy busing because I think one of the issues with busing is in fact the distances," she said.

"To expect a five-year-old or an eight-year-old or a nine-year-old to walk [2.4] kilometres to school, they're not going to do it, it's too far."

It's unclear when the new buses will be on the road because drivers still have to be hired and certified to drive the buses.  

The province entered into a 10-year contract in 2016 with Stock Transportation, which operates 271 buses in the Halifax region.

For this current school year, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education has budgeted $20.9 million for student transportation.