LIHUE — The Hawaii State Department of Education said Thursday that progress is being made by school bus contractors to address the shortage of commercial driver licensed drivers on Kauai and Maui qualified to operate school buses. Kauai’s shortage of
LIHUE — The Hawaii State Department of Education said Thursday that progress is being made by school bus contractors to address the shortage of commercial driver licensed drivers on Kauai and Maui qualified to operate school buses.
Kauai’s shortage of qualified school bus drivers is at eight, down from 10 two weeks ago. School bus routes have been consolidated to adjust to the staffing shortages and all schools are still being serviced. Several driver candidates are in the licensing process and routes will be restored as they enter service.
For a limited time, school bus contractors are offering hiring bonuses and increased wages. CDL drivers should call 586-0170. Drivers without a CDL are also being sought. The CDL training and testing process is open and takes about three weeks to complete.
“The Department is working hard with our school bus contractors to return affected routes to service and we anticipate more routes to come online in the coming weeks,” said Assistant Superintendent Dann Carlson.
•••
The Garden Island
