QUEEN鈥橲 PARK鈥擲chool Bus Ontario (SBO), the organization that lobbies on behalf of school bus companies across the province, has issued an alarm over recent cuts contained in the funding formula utilized by the province.
鈥淪ome bus operators are still owed millions for the 2023/24 school year and are heading into this new year without knowing how they will be paid for fuel,鈥� said Nancy Daigneault, SBO executive director, in a news release, adding that all regions of the province will be hit by the cuts, including Northern Ontario.
Ms. Daigneault maintains that the new funding formula contains 鈥渉arsh fuel cuts and other changes鈥� that negatively affect each region. As a result, the association said it feels there isn鈥檛 enough money flowing to the operators to pay for basics like adequate driver compensation, driver retention bonuses and new buses.
The聽Ministry of Education has imposed a reduction of between .56 to .58 cents per litre of fuel for the upcoming school season鈥攁 move that will leave school bus operators 鈥渨orried about filling their tanks to cover the millions of kilometres a day travelled by their professional drivers.鈥�
Ms. Daigneault said the provincial cuts have created 鈥渁n untenable situation and each region or operation will now have to evaluate how to deal with such a massive loss of funding鈥� with some operators perhaps cutting back on office staff to deal with cuts or try to make do with less dispatch staff. This, she contends, will result not only in communication delays with schools and parents, but also that 鈥渆ventually slowdowns, delays or continuous cancellations will persist.鈥�
鈥淭he first day of school is upon us, and once again bus operators are facing funding shortfalls that not only create a September of discontent,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut raise the possibility of even more school bus cancellations and disruptions in some regions.鈥澛�
Ms. Daigneault asserted that 鈥渙perators require proper funding so they can focus on job-one鈥攇etting our kids to school and home safely.鈥�
SBO reports that the costs to operate school buses have risen dramatically in the last four years in Ontario including: the price of new buses rising 71 percent; bus parts, including tires and brakes increasing 50 percent; insurance rates rising more than 30 percent; and driver wages having gone up in the neighbourhood of 38 percent.
The original formula also left out the cost of providing vans for special needs students鈥攁n oversight the SBO characterises as 鈥渟tunning.鈥�
鈥淭he confusing formula begs the question 鈥榳ho鈥檚 running the show?鈥欌�� said SBO President Nick McRae, in the news release. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not delivering groceries, we are safely transporting a very special cargo鈥攐ur children.鈥�
