The Hawaiʻi Department of Education is cutting more bus routes beginning August amid the ongoing driver shortage, officials announced Tuesday.
The suspended routes will affect 14 schools on Oʻahu and four on Kauaʻi. Last year, the shortage reportedly impacted 1,130 high school students on Oʻahu and 250 on Kauaʻi.
The school bus driver shortage is a nationwide problem, but the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue.
The state DOE is short 226 drivers, according to Randall Tanaka, assistant superintendent of the Office of Facilities and Operations.
It's more than a 30% shortfall from the drivers needed, which stands at about 650. That's about 226 bus routes suspended out of 650.
And Tanaka said 76 drivers quit just last year.
"We lost quite a bit of drivers," Tanaka said. "In some cities like Chicago, they are short by about 500 drivers. So the magnitude of that transport and bringing kids to school is a severe one."
He added that there's a lack of qualified drivers. School bus drivers are contracted part-time and must have a commercial driver's license (CDL), which can be a complicated process for some.
"Not anyone that has a CDL license can drive. It's a different level," Tanaka said. "The equipment's different, how we manage student transport is different, so it's not your ordinary CDL license."
Tanaka said bus companies have tried hiring bonuses and benefits packages to lure in new drivers, but the demands for a specialty CDL license puts up a barrier.
The DOE is working with the City and County of Honolulu to offer free HOLO cards to public school students. It's an expansion of the Expanding Ridership to Educate Students in Schools, or EXPRESS program.
Roger Morton, director of the city's Department of Transportation Services, said the program is a "win-win."
"Students are a great introduction to public transportation," Morton said. "And by encouraging the use of public transportation, the program will also prompt environmental sustainability, lifelong users of alternative travel modes and reduction of traffic congestion."
Students will have the HOLO card on their school ID that can be used for the bus and Skyline.
He said about 8,000 students participated in the program last year.
Officials urged parents to accompany younger children while riding public transportation.
Tanaka said the education department sent families a letter about bus route changes.
"We're trying to get more drivers, but at the same time, whether it be retirement or whatever reason, we continue to lose drivers, and we adjust as we go forward," Tanaka said.
"So that makes it all subject to change. We're trying to do our best to keep the families notified because we know it's highly disruptive. But this is where we are right now."
