Ottawa Student Transportation Authority facing 'severe' school bus driver shortage
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority is looking to hire 60 new school bus drivers, as it faces a "severe" driver shortage less than three weeks before the start of the school year.
The consortium that delivers student transportation to more than 60,000 students in Ottawa is looking at shifting some students to OC Transpo buses and merging low ridership routes to make sure kids can get to school starting September 7.
"There has been a school bus shortage for a long time, but, of course, it's been exacerbated now by the pandemic," said Vicky Kyriaco with the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority.
"So we did have a significant driver shortage last year, we were missing almost 100 drivers. This year we're at about 60 drivers short and still looking for ways to change the way that we've organized our routes so that we can take advantage of other types of modes of transportation and see how we can get kids to schools in other ways."
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority says local operators are searching for new drivers who are looking for part-time work, that includes morning and afternoon routes. Bus drivers earn $15 to 20 an hour, training is free and the ministry is offering bonuses.
Kyriaco says there is no mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for drivers.
"There's no mandatory vaccination for bus drivers right now. Although there is a policy in play that's going to be assisting us to collect information about who is actually vaccinated and who is going to require the rapid testing on a regular basis if they haven't been vaccinated yet," said Kyriaco.
SCHOOL BUS ROUTE CHANGES
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority says due to the driver shortage, additional planning is needed to adjust routes while ensuring all safety measures meet and/or exceed ministry guidelines.
Kyriaco says the authority is working with operators and OC Transpo on "creative solutions" to get as many students to school as possible.
"The first thing that we really looked at was which kids from Grades 7 to 12 could be switched over to public transit. So we did speak to OC Transpo just to see where they might have some capacity issues if we do transfer about 4,000 kids and that work is happening right now," said Kyriaco.
"We are adding some coaches and congregated stops for some high school students out in the rural areas. We're moving some low ridership buses together to create one long run."
The parent portal will open on Aug. 27 at 4 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.