More school bus delays for students in Toronto
Posted September 12, 2016 7:26 am.
Last Updated September 12, 2016 9:16 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s the second week of school and parents of children attending public and Catholic schools in Toronto are once again facing delays on school bus routes.
Numerous delays have been reported on Monday due a shortage of school bus drivers. Parents are advised to check here for the latest list of delays.
Both the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board have been plagued by school bus driver shortages since the new school year started last week. According to the Toronto Student Transportation Group, 54 of more than 1,700 routes are not staffed.
The shortage is affecting more than 1,000 students.
The boards said Attridge Transportation, Wheelchair Accessible Transit Inc. and SHARP Bus Lines are at the centre of the issue.
Toronto District School Board issued a letter to parents at the end of last week, addressing the situation, saying staff are prepared to supervise children who arrive early, or are forced to stay late.
The board and the companies are still trying to work out the problem, and it’s not clear when they’ll be able to cover all their routes.
Last week, Canada’s largest driver’s union, Unifor Local 4268, blamed the driver shortage on Queen’s Park. The union said the province’s current “request for proposals” system for awarding school bus contracts leads to constant instability as school bus companies try to outbid each other for the contracts.
The Ontario ombudsman said staff will look into whether a formal investigation is needed into the school bus delays.
Related stories:
Ombudsman to determine whether investigation needed into school bus delays
Toronto parents and students face another morning of school bus delays
Queen’s Park to blame for school bus driver shortage: union
TDSB, TCDSB school bus delays could last until next week
