Ottawa school bus authority GM out after 3 months

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

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) says its recently hired general manager is out after fewer than four months on the job.

Former OC Transpo operations control centre manager Joel Lemieux became the new general manager of OSTA on April 15. OSTA confirmed to CTV News Ottawa in an email Tuesday that Lemieux was no longer in that role.

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"We confirm a change in leadership of OSTA with Cindy Owens stepping into the role of Interim General Manager/CAO. The OSTA Board of Directors thanks Mr. Lemieux for his efforts and contributions on behalf of the transportation authority," a statement said.

OSTA would not say why Lemieux was no longer with the authority.

OSTA appointed a new general manager after former GM Vicky Kyriaco left the organization last December following a leave of absence. The 2023-24 school year began without enough drivers, leaving more than 9,000 students in Ottawa's English public and catholic school boards without school bus transportation. Kyriaco has since announced a lawsuit against her former employer for constructive dismissal and aggravated damages.

At the end of the last school year, OSTA said preliminary agreements were in place with all school bus operators for the 2024-25 school year.

In mid-July, there were 71 new yellow school bus drivers in training or set to begin training to backfill 22 vacant positions left at the end of the 2023-24 school year and school van transportation companies are reporting "robust" staffing numbers for the fall.

"However, the attrition rate can be as high as 40 per cent in new school bus driver training, and there is always a spike in driver resignations just prior to the start of the school year," OSTA said on its website.

The authority says a "select number of grade 7-12 students" will be shifted to public transportation to allow yellow buses to be redeployed where they are needed most.

The next update from OSTA will come in mid-August.

School begins Sept. 3 in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board, whose buses are provided by OSTA.