Number of cancelled Ottawa school bus trips grows as bus authority short 24 drivers

A yellow school bus in Ottawa is seen in this undated photo. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) says it is short 24 drivers less than a week from the start of classes, leading to an increased number of cancelled routes.

In a statement Wednesday, OSTA said the driver shortage is affecting approximately 88 transportation runs, up from the 57 it reported last week, when it said bus operators were short only 13 drivers.

• MORE STORIES: Back to school in Ottawa

Nineteen drivers are currently in training and awaiting licences from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), OSTA said.

"Some operators servicing Nepean, Gloucester, and Kars have reported increased driver shortages. These new shortages include seven drivers who are ready to service our runs on the first day of school but are awaiting licensing clearance from the MTO. We have contacted our Ministry partners to expedite this process and hope these routes will return to service early next week. The west end driver shortage (12 drivers) remains unchanged from last week," OSTA said.

A list of cancelled routes is on OSTA's website.

OSTA says it considers factors such as availability of alternate forms of transportation — such as public transit and safe and accessible biking and walking routes — and the distance students must travel to get to school when determining which routes are placed on its long-term cancellation lists.

Another factor is willingness of drivers to accept the route.

"For instance, some drivers are grandparents who choose to drive so they can transport their grandchildren to school. Other drivers are parents of school-age children who choose routes where their children are enrolled. Some drivers have outside commitments dictating how much time they can be on the road. Choosing routes to place on the long-term cancellation list is a very comprehensive process that aims to balance the needs of students, families, and drivers while considering logistical and practical constraints," said OSTA.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

According to its long-term cancellation lists for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB), approximately one quarter of cancelled routes are on the list because the driver is still in training, while the remainder are because no driver is available. None of the affected routes have anticipated return dates as of Wednesday.

"As a reminder, if you see a cancellation for your child(ren)’s transportation, please continue to monitor the website. Cancelled services may change daily," OSTA said. "Information about cancellations is intended to give parents and guardians as much notice as possible so they can plan alternative arrangements in the worst-case scenario."

Classes resume at the OCDSB and OCSB on Sept. 3.