As the disruption in service continues for a third week, Renfrew County school bus operators have issued an open letter to families.
Alan Jackson, spokesperson for a group of bus companies, says they joined School Bus Ontario in issuing the letter in response to an update recently issued by the school boards.
A contract dispute between the Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium (RCJTC) and the school bus operators has stalled bus service for the start of schools.
Jackson and the operators say only the province can release more funding to the boards and the RCJTC and they are asking the public to contact their MPP to help resolve the matter.
“Operators take pride in providing safe, reliable school bus transportation to the families of our community. Like you, we live and work here; we’ve grown our businesses here; and we employ hundreds of local mechanics, drivers, technicians and office staff. We carry very special cargo and funding must match costs.”
Jackson said the consortium, the school boards, and the Ministry of Education are “peddling misinformation” to parents about contract talks and funding.
He reiterated the fact that, because of rising costs, the operators asked to begin contract talks last August, in the hopes that any conflict could be resolved and contracts signed for the start of school.
A prolonged service disruption is bad for everyone, he says.
“School bus operators, drivers, mechanics and technicians are facing the loss of employment and operators are at risk of losing their family-run businesses,” says Jackson in the letter.
Bringing new school bus companies to the region would mean the closing of family-run businesses – throwing hundreds of people out of work, he added.
The bus operators say the since the pandemic, costs have increased dramatically, and the modest increase offered to them doesn’t come close to meeting their needs.
The cost of buses is now 71 per cent higher, parts, tires and brakes are 50 per cent more expensive, driver wages are up 38 per cent and insurance is costing 30 per cent more, say the operators.
Officials at RCJTC and the school boards have said meeting the operators’ demands is impossible within the existing transportation budgets without pulling dollars from schools and student programming.
School board officials say families, students and staff have shown incredible patience and understanding. A communication to families issued Friday by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board thanks parents and guardians for reaching out with their concerns.
“Your feedback helps us understand how we can try to support families during this time, and we appreciate the honesty about how the lack of transportation has made it difficult for families to establish routines and stability throughout the week. We share this frustration with you,” reads the letter, signed by RCCDSB Director of Education Mark Searson.
The letter noted that there has been a high volume of calls and emails about the transportation disruption and said officials are committed to providing weekly updates.
School bus operators and RCJTC are scheduled to meet on Monday, Sept. 23.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)