It happens in just seconds. Stolen catalytic converters and this time the target is school buses.
An Ottawa school bus company had seven of its vehicles disabled on Wednesday when thieves stole the catalytic converters, causing the cancellation of several school bus routes.
Rebecca Liberty’s nephew had to be driven to school.
"I got a call saying that there were no buses available for my nephew due to the catalytic converters being stolen out of eight of the buses," says Liberty.
Liberty’s nephew takes an accessible bus to school. Thieves targeted three of those vehicles too.
"We’re lucky that we were able to figure it out," says Liberty. "Whereas other parents might not be so lucky, because he has to go to school. He gets his PT and OT through school. So missing it, we just don’t want that to happen because of the school bus."
Catalytic converters are made with trace amounts of precious metals, and scrap dealers are willing to pay cash for them. It’s mainly a North American problem.
But when thieves target school buses, they also affect a student’s education.
"In this particular case, there were no spare buses so we had to cancel service," says Vicky Kyriaco, Chief Administrative Officer at the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority. "People who interfere with service through vandalism or theft, really need to start thinking about the impact that they’re having on children. And their ability to get to school."
Repairs are costly. Ranging from $1,500 for a car, up to almost $4,000 for a van. Ottawa Police and OPP have issued a number of alerts to motorists to be vigilant against theft.
"We’ve been hearing about regular cars being ripped off. Even that is ridiculous," says Liberty. "But now it’s affecting school boards and multiple families."
The bus company affected by the stolen catalytic converters declined to comment.
