Send this page to someone via email

Amid concerns about a shortage of school bus drivers, the Toronto District School Board said Wednesday that all routes will be staffed next week.

“The latest update from bus operators is that all school bus routes will have a driver for the first day,” TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird told Global News in a statement Wednesday.

“As we explained earlier, a very small number of routes may not have a permanent driver in place, but they will have a driver.”

LISTEN: Kevin Hodgkinson, general manager of Toronto Student Transportation Group, joins AM640

Story continues below advertisement

The TDSB statement comes after the Toronto Student Transportation Group, which provides school bus service to the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, said in a letter to parents on Monday that 21 of the 1750 bus routes may potentially be impacted by the bus driver shortage.

“Nearly all (99%) bus routes have a driver assigned, however, at this time, Sharp Bus Lines and Stock Transportation have indicated that they have insufficient drivers to cover all of their routes,” the statement said.

Last year 60 routes were compromised due to a shortage of bus drivers.

READ MORE: Ontario ombudsman criticizes Toronto school boards for 2016 school bus delays

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé said in a report earlier this month that Toronto two largest school boards “mishandled” a bus driver shortage that affected more than 1,000 students and dozens of bus routes.

Dubé launched the investigation in September 2016 following outcry from parents across the Greater Toronto Area after children were left waiting for buses that were either delayed or never arrived.

With files from Nick Westoll and Adam Miller