The consortium that provides school transportation to kids in the Grey-Bruce region has turned to Queens Park for help.
The Student Transportation Service Consortium of Grey Bruce (STSCGB) has called on the Ontario government to reach new contracts with the six school bus operators in the region.
The previous contract expired right after the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Nancy Daigneault, Executive Director of School Bus Ontario, said the issue is not political, but rather of preparation that drivers and mechanics must undertake for the coming school year.
"It's about their morning routine, their jobs, their children's safety, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing the school bus will arrive," said Daigneault in a media release. "Families don't care about contract negotiations. They care whether the bus shows up in September."
The consortium said that if there is no agreement by Friday, students will be forced to start the school year with alternate transportation.
"We have already notified drivers that contracts are not in place, and some of my experienced team members may soon start looking for work elsewhere if this isn't settled," said Steve Tiffin of Tiffin Transportation Services Inc., one of the operators.
The six school bus operators are responsible for 308 bus routes.
Daigneault added that keeping responsible, experienced drivers to run those buses is necessary but also cost-prohibitive.
"In Grey-Bruce region, local operators have increased driver wages by 25 to 30 per cent over the life of the current contracts, well above the province's total 17.5 per cent funding increase over the same period," said Daigneault. "Operators have absorbed those additional labour costs because getting qualified drivers behind the wheel is essential to safely transporting students."
School Bus Ontario is a non-profit association that provides advocacy, education, and legislative consultation services to school bus fleet owners, according to its official website.
