Ottawa school buses hit the road after service cancelled for 2,300+ students
As big yellow school buses hit the roads for their first morning shuttling students to Ottawa's English public and Catholic schools, more than 2,300 students are finding another way due to a severe shortage of school bus drivers.
Many school bus drivers have opted not to return to work this September, due to their concerns about contracting COVID-19 and the effects it would have on their health.
Because school bus drivers are in such short supply, the shortage is expected to get even worse through the year, as drivers become ill or have to isolate with no one to cover their shifts.
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“We really are asking parents to get tapped in, to get the latest information, because information and the situation is changing very often,” said Vicky Kyriaco, general manager and CAO, Ottawa Student Transportation Authority. “We want to make sure that their children are safe, and that they've got the latest information to make arrangements in transportation.”
Kyriaco urged parents to subscribe to OSTA's e-mail alerts and/or to check OSTA's website or social media daily, to see whether their child's school bus route has been cancelled.
Monday morning saw four school buses cancelled, affecting trips to eight schools in Ottawa's English public and Catholic systems. In a tweet, OSTA urged parents to stay with their children at the bus stop, in case of a cancellation or delay.
Please review your child’s info on the Parent Portal, then check the posted list on the website to confirm the route’s status regularly.
It is important that you maintain physical distancing and STAY with your child(ren) until the bus arrives in case of delays and cancellations.— OSTA (@OttSchoolBus) September 14, 2020
The first day of school bus service falls on the first day of regular classes for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's secondary students in cohort A, as well as the board's elementary schools in Group 1 — but which grades start in those schools Monday, versus Tuesday or Wednesday, differs between individual schools.
Outside the city, classes begin Monday for elementary students in the Upper Canada District School Board, if their last names start with H-P, and for elementary students taking online classes in the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.
