More bus drivers needed to get Calgary students to school, says transportation operator

With students back in school this week, Jonathan Weal is also back in the driver's seat.

He's a school bus operator with Southland Transportation, picking up and dropping off about two dozen students from kindergarten to Grade 12 across southwest Calgary.

It's a job he loves, but he says it hasn't been an easy start to the year with not enough drivers to cover all of the routes.

"So we'll do an extra run," he said in an interview on the Calgary Eyeopener. 

"It means that the students get to class a bit late, but you know, we're doing everything we can to make sure everybody gets to school every day."

Southland Transportation, which transports about 50,000 students daily across southern Alberta, says there are currently several routes that don't have a regular assigned driver. 

They say the shortage in school bus drivers is not new, but the pandemic has exacerbated the issue. Some drivers decided to get other jobs, some experienced health issues and some needed full-time work to keep up with inflation.

"Last year kind of reached that boiling point … but this is something that's been coming for a number of years and continuously kind of getting worse," said Craig Loose, regional director of Southland Transportation.

The Calgary Board of Education says the majority of their routes are covered, but they are aware of the shortage. 

"This means that buses could be delayed or cancelled due to driver absences, mechanical issues or delays from the previous school on the route," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"Families with a student assigned to a route that does not have a regularly assigned driver are being contacted ​​about potential disruptions to their service."

The board says it uses four different transportation services, and it's working with others to try to find temporary solutions.

This year, the CBE has received 19,600 applications for school bus service and are continuing to accept new registrations. 

At the Calgary Catholic School Board, 3,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 6 are signed up for the service. Junior and high school students take Calgary Transit.

They recommend all families have a backup plan in place should bus service be impacted, as service can vary day to day.

Loose says Southland has more than 400 routes with the CBE and CCSD, and the company tries to have at least 10 per cent more spare drivers, but their availability can change. 

'We build relationships'

Weal, who's also in business development with Southland, has driven school buses for five years. He says right now some students are arriving at school between 15 and 30 minutes late because of the driver shortage.

"We can't really get the students to school too early because we can't drop them off until the school staff are there," he said.

"I know that there's drivers in training right now, and so as those pass through their training, then they pick up routes, and so it will reduce the number of late buses."

The company is continuing to ask people to apply. Loose says they pay about $5,000 for each new driver to receive proper training, licensing upgrades and medical exams.

Alberta's Ministry of Transportation says they've also tried to eliminate barriers for new drivers, such as enabling school bus companies and school divisions to deliver their own training, making grants available and, in previous years, increasing the availability of road test locations. 

For people with compassion, a good temperament and an enjoyment of early mornings, Weal says the job could be a good match.

"You may be the first smiling face that a child sees everyday ... you get to learn their names and their quirks, and they start talking to you after a couple of days and we build relationships," Weal said.

"Parents are trusting you to look after their children every morning and every afternoon, and that's a great honour to have."