HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) said in a statement Thursday afternoon they would be suspending student transportation services in certain areas.
HIDOE stated Afterschool Plus (A+) is not being suspended.
There is a waitlist however at 46 of the 163 A+ school sites due to staff shortages.
Meaning bus routes in Central Oahu and East Hawaii Island will stop due to the shortage of school bus drivers with the required commercial driver's licenses.
They added a total of 108 routes will be temporarily suspended, affecting nearly 2,900 students who signed up for bus transportation.
However, bus routes for students receiving transportation as part of their special education services are not impacted.
The suspended routes on Oahu are for middle/intermediate and high school students in the ‘Aiea-Moanalua-Radford and Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Areas. The suspended routes in East Hawai‘i Island are for all grade levels in the Hilo-Waiākea and Ka‘ū-Kea‘au-Pāhoa Complex Areas.
“The shortage of school bus drivers across the nation continues to impact our schools and requires the temporary reduction of bus routes to ensure that bus services can continue for our special education students,” Randy Moore, deputy superintendent of operations, said. “Working with our contractors to restore the bus routes is critical to support our students’ attendance at school and their learning.”
Impacted high school riders on Oahu will be offered HOLO cards to ride the City & County of Honolulu TheBus system for free.
High school riders at east Hawaii schools are able to use the Hele-On county bus system for free with no pass needed.