- Texas Rural Student Transportation officials said there's a shortage state-wide of bus drivers.
- Part of the shortage has to with training process and inconsistent hours, according to TxRST manager Kevin Webb.
An important aspect of a school district is transportation. We see those yellow buses everyday - our children use them, but have we paid attention to those individuals behind the driver’s seat.
Texas Rural Student Transportation officials said there’s a shortage state-wide of those essential workers.
Kevin Webb is a manager with Texas Rural Student Transportation. He said one of the biggest obstacles is the training process. Getting bus drivers licensed can take up to six weeks which isn't ideal for individuals needing to make money now.
“We see the issue across the company – as a whole. (With) hiring drivers, if we can’t get that money high enough to entice them – it’s the same issue. The state’s asking you to go through this process to even allow you to get into this bus. And the process is just cumbersome,” Webb said.
He also said the inconsistent hours are usually a deal breaker for those individuals supporting families.
“The younger people, I have a problem enticing them into this because it’s not a full-time job. It is not that forty hours and fifty hours overtime that a lot of families need these days to even pay their bills,” Webb said.
For those who do get through the training process – like Leah Herring – she believes fear is also a factor for potential drivers. Something she struggled with.
“I think a lot of people are scared. There is a lot of liability in bus driving. You have a ton of precious little angels on your bus – that you need to make sure are that they’re safe to and from school and home,” Herring said.
She said that goes away once you see how much drivers actually respect school buses on the road.
Bus drivers and officials said bus drivers are in demand for all school districts. They urge people to take a look into getting behind the wheel.
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