A school bus driver shortage forced the cancellation of a number of routes for more than 240 Catholic school students in Peterborough County on Thursday morning.
According to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board and Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO), the First Student bus company was forced to cancel six bus routes to St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in the village of Norwood, impacting 243 students.
The routes cancelled were 403, 404, 406, 408, 412 and 417 which impact both morning and afternoon transportation Thursday, the school board said.
Both the school board and STSCO are cautioning families to have backup plans in case of further busing service disruptions.
Joel Sloggett, CAO of STSCO, says some local bus companies have had difficulty hiring and retaining drivers during the coronavirus pandemic.
“(It’s) an issue that many transportation consortiums across Ontario are facing,” he said.
The school board and STSCO say parents can expect some bus runs may operate late or be cancelled entirely.
Any disruptions will be posted on a daily basis on the STSCO website and families are asked to monitor the site in the mornings and evenings or sign-up for notifications on delays or cancellations or following STSCO on Twitter @stsco_ca.
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