The Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario says nearly 40 school bus routes for Peterborough and area will be cancelled Monday due to a driver shortage.
In a joint release with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, STSCO says First Student bus company has informed STSCO that it will cancel 38 routes for morning and afternoon runs to public and Catholic schools on Sept. 14.
Monday is the first day of the staggered start for schools for KPRDSB.
The full list of routes can be found here: Bus route cancellations.
On Thursday, First Student bus cancelled six routes to St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood due to a driver shortage. Routes resumed as normal on Friday.
“Some local bus companies continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining drivers during the pandemic, an issue that many transportation consortia across Ontario are facing,” stated STSCO CAO Joel Sloggett. ” As a result, STSCO warns that bus route cancellations and delays may be a daily occurrence in the weeks ahead.”
Any disruptions will be posted on a daily basis on the STSCO website to give parents and guardians as much advance notice as possible.
Families in both school boards are asked to monitor STSCO’s website in the mornings and evenings, sign up for automatic notifications and follow @stsco_ca on Twitter for information on cancellations and delays.