Shortage of spare bus drivers this fall in SRSD

The Seine River School Division is still working on getting enough bus drivers.

There was a significant driver shortage last year causing the division to cancel many bus routes while they recruited drivers.

Board chair Wendy Bloomfield says they have all regular positions filled, but do not have any spare drivers. 

She admits there have been some challenges this fall. 

“Some of it is related to new students, particularly in the east end of the division,” Bloomfield says. “We're still having difficulty getting drivers although we've got, I think in three weeks, we've got new drivers that are going to be graduating from the training. We’ll be able to get them online so, that will definitely help.” 

While they are in a better position than last fall, Bloomfield says there have been some days, one as recently as last week, when they were in a tough spot. 

“We had two people away,” she explains. “They (administration) pulled off the Courier driver (to cover one route), but one route still needed to be cancelled because we did not have a spare driver.” 

Seine River provides transportation to a large rural area and Bloomfield says they want to reduce the long bus rides for students. She notes their administration team is working on solutions. 

Meanwhile, Secretary Treasurer Scott Carleton says they really appreciate the patience and understanding from parents while the team works on improving the transportation situation.