OSTA will not compensate parents for canceled school bus routes

The authority that provides school transportation to students in Ottawa’s English and Catholic public school boards says it is saving money after cancelling hundreds of trips due to a driver shortage, but it can’t use the money to compensate parents because it is being used to hire more drivers.

Last month, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) said it had to cancel 300 bus routes because it couldn’t hire enough drivers, leaving the families of about 7,600 students scrambling to find other ways to get to school.

In a news release Tuesday, OSTA said it is “saving money through withheld payments for services not provided” but is using that money to recruit new drivers from other transit operators in the region.

“Unfortunately, OSTA does not have the funds to compensate parents and guardians who pay to transport their children to school after the cancellation of bus service. Even with the reallocated savings, OSTA has a budget deficit of $6.5 million,” the statement said.

OSTA said the Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are asking families experiencing financial difficulties to contact their school principal, who “will work with them to find solutions to help address their individual concerns.”