Around 140 school bus routes were cancelled in Toronto on Thursday, October 17, due to a “driver qualification” issue that prevented the bus drivers from working. The cancellations affected students served by both the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), disrupting transport to and from school.
The Toronto Student Transportation Group announced the cancellations, stating that bus operator First Student informed them of the driver qualification issues. First Student explained that the company had recently added over 100 new 28-passenger school buses to its fleet. However, these new buses require different certifications compared to the 24-passenger buses some drivers were previously operating.
Acknowledging the hardship caused by the cancellations, a spokesperson from First Student emphasized the company’s awareness of the frustration faced by families, particularly given the short notice. The company is actively working to procure enough of the smaller buses from other locations to restore service, aiming to resume some routes by Friday and have all routes operational by Monday.
The TDSB reported that approximately 12 percent of its bus routes were affected, impacting around 1,200 students. In a joint statement, the TDSB and TCDSB expressed their understanding of the inconvenience and disruption caused by the last-minute cancellations and reassured families that there would be fewer cancellations the following day. They anticipate a return to normal service by Monday, with First Student committed to keeping families informed about any ongoing delays or further cancellations due to this disruption.
