BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Buffalo Schools has been forced to modify its bus routes due to the shortage in bus drivers.
"In our city, we were 150 drivers short which means 150 bus routes out of our normal 667 routes have now been reduced to about 510 routes," Buffalo Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash said Wednesday.
The driver shortage nationwide is being attributed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National School Transportation Association in May, the industry suffered severe economic losses and thousands of employees were furloughed over the course of the pandemic.
If you have or are planning to attend the Erie County Fair, you may run into the Student Transportation of America, an independent provider of school bus transportation services. They are currently recruiting for positions.
"So far, we've handed out maybe 25 applications," Kendall Smith from STA said. "The interest is definitely out there for those of you who are looking for a stable, reliable job that pays well and has great benefits."
She said it's a job that anyone can do both seasonally and year-round. According to STA, drivers can earn up to $24 per hour and it includes paid holidays.
Still, applicants who are hired will be required to receive a commercial driver's license, though STA said they pay for the training.
"We set you up with some study guides to get your CDL-B permit with passenger and school endorsements," Smith said. "Those parts are the most important. You can't drive a school bus without passenger and school endorsements…It takes about six weeks to complete and you're on the road."
Learn more about applying to be a bus driver by clicking here
