School bus routes cancelled in Sudbury because of driver shortage, with many isolating after COVID exposure

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is affecting school bus servicein the Sudbury area.

On Monday, the Sudbury Student Services Consortium had to cancel four specific routes: Routes L104, L- 106, L-003 and L-364, as well as all buses to Marymount Academy.

On Friday the consortium cancelled three different bus routes to various schools in the city.

COVID outbreaks have now been decalredat three Sudbury elementary schools: St David, cole St-Denisand St Pius XII. There is also oneconfirmed one case of COVID-19 at Marymount Academy.

Those outbreaks and active cases affect the bus routes used by dozens of students from different schools within the four school boards, says consortium executive director Renee Boucher.

Shesays the cancellations were mostly because of a shortage of drivers, as they have to self-isolate because of outbreaks.

"Where students are asked to isolate if they have been in contact with a COVID case, our school bus drivers also need to isolate," she says.

"We didn't have additional drivers to cover the rest of their runs."

Boucher says the bus companiesdo have spare drivers, however drivers who have anyCOVID-19 symptoms must stay at home.

"I don't want to say that the school bus operators are at fault. They do have sufficient drivers to do their routes and they also have spare drivers," she says.

"However, due to the number of COVID cases or of COVID symptoms more and more drivers have to stay home."

Boucher expects to see more cancelled bus routes due to connections to COVID-19 cases the rest of this school year. However she is hopeful they will be kept to a minimum.