N.S. government to invest $1.9 million for up to 37 new Halifax-area school buses

The Nova Scotia government says it will be investing $1.9 million to bring up to 37 new school buses to the Halifax region.

In a press release Thursday afternoon, the province said an implementation plan is still being developed in consultation with parents, school advisory councils, principals and the provincial advisory council on education.

“Parents have a right to expect safe, reliable bus service for their children,” said Education Minister Zach Churchill in a statement.

“We heard from many parents about issues with busing this year, along with challenges that persist year over year.”

WATCH: N.S. reviewing school buses after students left stranded

2:14 N.S. reviewing school buses after students left stranded

Those issues began right when classes returned, when over 100 kids at Basinview Drive Community School in Bedford were left stranded at school.

In the days that followed, the education department vowed to conduct an internal review of their school bus system.

“With our new governance and administration changes, we have an opportunity to address busing issues in a way that would not have been possible before. Our goal is to apply consistent service standards across our regions to improve bus service for all students,” Churchill said in his statement.

READ MORE: ‘It was a hot mess’: Bedford parents outraged after students left stranded at school

The province adds that courtesy and special needs busing applications increased “substantially” this year. The department hopes the introduction of new technology will help better manage bus requests, bus routing and negate service delays.

The busing consultation is scheduled to begin sometime in October. The province says parents and community members will be given the opportunity to make their voices heard through an online survey.