In what's becoming an unsettling start to the school year, the Hawaii State Department of Education announced yesterday that over 100 bus routes will be temporarily suspended due to a shortage of bus drivers. The announcement affects nearly 2,900 students slated for bus transport in Central Oahu and East Hawaii Island. Special education transport remains a priority, according to the DOE, as reported by Hawaii News Now.

This suspension marks the third consecutive year of disrupted transportation services at the year's beginning. Routes are suspended in key areas such as the Aiea-Moanalua-Radford complex and the Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua complex, compounding an issue that has seen 175 drivers vacate their positions over the last school year. As "a failure on the DOE’s part to plan for this type of disruption," state Rep. Trish La Chica criticized in an interview with Civil Beat, highlighting how these cancellations leave families scrambling for alternatives.

Amid this transportation crisis, the DOE is collaborating with school bus contractors to restore the bus routes, albeit without a definitive timeline for resolution. In a temporary measure, Oahu students will be offered complimentary HOLO cards for the city's bus system, while East Hawaii school students can use the Hele-On county bus system for free. Additionally, the DOE has opened up mileage reimbursement applications for parents and guardians driving students, as per a Hawaii News Now release.

John Scovel, who formerly managed Iosepa Transportation on the Big Island, highlighted the challenges for new drivers, who face costly and time-consuming licensing processes, to Civil Beat. With the current workforce nearing retirement, the shortage could worsen. Efforts to curb this shortfall have included increased wages and hiring bonuses offered by bus service contractors, although it remains difficult "to recruit and retain workers," Scovel elaborated.