TORONTO – The school bus driver shortage and high driver turnover in the GTA and elsewhere is related to a number of issues that have been simmering over many years including a government funding formula that has not been re-examined or revised in 10 years and does not reflect today’s student transportation needs. Costs of school buses and parts have increased 35% as a result of product imports and the strong US dollar. The Request for Proposals (RFP) process mandated by the Provincial Government eight years ago, must be overhauled to ensure it is a fair, open, and transparent process reflecting reasonable operating contracts to support safe school bus operations and sustain all employee jobs including office staff, maintenance personnel and professional school bus drivers.
In a safety sensitive industry, delivery of secure and on-time student transportation is the responsibility of several key stakeholders working cohesively together – government, school boards/transportation consortia and school bus service providers.
In a safety sensitive industry, delivery of secure and on-time student transportation is the responsibility of several key stakeholders working cohesively together – government, school boards/transportation consortia and school bus service providers.
