No school buses for more than 2,400 Ottawa students
More than 2,400 Ottawa students won’t have a bus to school when classes resume due to a driver shortage, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority says.
In an update on Monday, OSTA said 27 more drivers are needed to cover all school bus routes.
“We recognize this is still a challenge for many families, and we are working tirelessly on finding temporary and long-term solutions for the families facing service disruptions,” OSTA said.
OSTA’s parent portal will open on Monday, Aug. 29, at which point parents can check the status of their child’s bus. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and Ottawa Catholic School Board resume classes on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
The driver shortage is less drastic than last year, when transportation services were disrupted for 12,000 students.
Recruitment efforts have led to new drivers being hired for this school year, with service expected to be provided for more than 96 per cent of students. The DriveYellow.ca campaign, which OSTA and some operators launched last spring, has led to more than 163 completed applications and 35 drivers hired or in training.
But for routes facing service disruptions, OSTA is looking at measures such as combining routes with low ridership into one, moving students from cancelled routes to existing routes, adding congregated stops, building in arrival or departure delays, and using public transit or vans.
Last September, more than 2,000 students were shifted from yellow school buses to OC Transpo due to the bus driver shortage.
“Becoming a Yellow School Bus Driver is not an overnight process; drivers must be vetted, trained, and licensed in a process that can take up to four weeks,” OSTA’s update said. “Hiring is ongoing and will continue throughout the school year to ensure there is a minimal service disruption.”
Parents who are opting out of school buses are asked to update OSTA with their intentions as soon as possible. They can opt back in anytime.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.