Frustration grows as officials warn Ottawa school bus driver shortage could last months
Students in the capital have now been back in class for weeks but a school bus driver shortage isn't getting any better and could last months.
It's yet another roadblock for students and parents amid an already challenging pandemic school year.
Just weeks in, a worsening school bus driver shortage in Ottawa has left thousands of students without bus transportation to school.
"My son and daughter got their buses actually at the start of the school year and somehow they just got cancelled after one and a half weeks or two weeks, what has happened I don't understand," said Atif Sidiqqi, whose kids' buses have been cancelled.
Saddiqi is driving his kids to school, taking turns with neighbours when he can to share the burden. He says taking public transportation would take his kids hours.
"It's quite frustrating because COVID has been here for two years now and OSTA has enough time to plan these things," said Saddiqi.
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) said since July more than 100 permanent drivers have quit, and only 46 new drivers have been deployed.
"We still have drivers who are concerned about their health and who are looking with trepidation to whether they should return to not," said Vicky Kyriaco, General Manager and CAO of the OSTA.
One hundred and fourteen routes and 484 runs have been cancelled, leaving more than 3,000 students to rely on OC Transpo.
The city's west end has been hardest hit.
"The service demands are much higher than the supply, we have a reduction of drivers but an increase in numbers of students who need transportation," said Kyriaco.
The authority warns the issue could last weeks if not months.
"Is it sustainable to expect retirees to be our main pool or candidates? Do we have to look at changing what the wage structure could be with out operators," Kyriaco said.
The OSTA said as drivers become available, rural routes and low-income school communities will be prioritized.
Parents are hopeful for a solution before the colder weather hits.
"For sure my frustration will go up if this stays during winter time, if I have to this while there's snow or freezing rain outside," said Siddiqi.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.