Las Vegas, NV (AP) — Amid a shortage of school bus drivers, 15 high schools in and around Las Vegas will start having students ride regularly scheduled public transit to and from campus this week.
The “Ride On” program starts Monday with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.
Officials promised safe and timely transportation, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Students will board RTC buses at stops near their homes to ride existing routes, along with regular riders, to stops near school, officials said.
The RTC said 200 security officers patrol bus stops and transit centers, and each bus has 12 cameras that police can monitor live.
Parents have complained since school began Aug. 9 about frequent bus delays and unpredictable service causing some students to miss classes.
CCSD usually operates almost 1,600 bus routes but has about 240 school bus driver vacancies.
Last month, officials canceled some high school sports due to transportation issues.
School bus driver scarcity is a national problem. A Montana school district offered $4,000 bonuses to drivers and a Delaware district offered parents $700 to take care of their own transportation.
In Massachusetts, members of the National Guard have been called to drive buses, Nevada state emergency managers rejected that idea.