Calgary school bus company faces driver shortage as students set to return to classroom

Calgary students return to the classroom in just over two weeks, but with a shortage of school bus drivers, there’s growing concern about how some kids will get there.

Southland Transportation, which serves Calgary’s public and Catholic school boards, needs to fill hundreds of vacant school bus driver positions before then.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s still concerning,” said Craig Loose, Southland’s regional director for southern Alberta.

Loose said the company is actively recruiting and training new drivers to meet the demand, but it’s still facing some of the staffing challenges that devastated the industry nationwide last year.

“A lot has happened coming out of COVID with appetite to drive a school bus, but the way the economy is currently, it is a part-time seasonal job,” he told CTV News.

While Southland is in a better position this year compared to last, Loose said the first day of school won’t be easy.

There could be some schedule and bus route changes if the labour challenges continue into the school year, so parents need back-up plans.

“At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to get, you know, all of the students to and from school safely and safely home every day, and we do that to the best of our ability,” Loose said.

About 2,400 students with the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) are registered for bus service this school year.

It said that’s about 25 per cent lower than anticipated, but they expect that number to increase in the fall.

“The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) understands how important safe transportation to and from school is for our families,” the school division said in a statement.

“As with previous years, we work with our carriers to support our bussing needs and limit service disruptions to the greatest extent possible.”

About 2,400 students with the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) are registered for bus service this school year.

DEMAND RETURNS TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS AT CBE

As for the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), demand for school bus service is returning to pre-pandemic levels.

It said around 17,000 students are registered this year, up from 11,000 last year, and it’s still accepting applicants.

“Students will be added to the closest existing stop with space. Processing times could be up to six weeks at the beginning of the school year due to volume,” CBE said in a statement.

Families are responsible for transporting students while they wait to be added to a bus stop and route, according to the public school division.

This year, CBE is allowing families to add a second address so they have access to two bus stops or routes. 

“We’ve heard from families that they would like more flexibility to access bus stops and routes to support childcare arrangements and changing family schedules,” it said in a statement.

CBE said the majority of its bus routes will have a regular driver assigned to the route, but due to the bus driver shortage, families should be ready for anything. 

“Families should be prepared and have back-up plans in place in the event their bus is delayed or cancelled on short notice,” CBE said.

Southland aims to have at least 10 per cent more drivers than it needs in case of illness or other emergencies, according to Loose.

“It’s always urgent. We always need people and we’re always happy to have people who want to come and experience what being a school bus driver is all about.”

Anyone with a class five driver’s licence and clean driving record can enter its training program.

School bus drivers with the company in Calgary can make up to $130 a day, working an average of four hours per shift.

“For people looking for supplementary income or something to do, you know, it’s a public service, it’s really a needed role,” Loose said.