School bus service in Montreal may not resume by the start of the academic year due to contract issues
Montreal children may not see a yellow bus on their street when they head back to school in less than three weeks, after school bus contracts expired back in June.
Not a single contract in the city has been renewed between private bus companies and school boards for the new academic year starting Aug. 29.
The reason is simple: there's not enough money to keep the school buses running.
Quebec's Ministry of Education raised the school bus budget by 6.7 per cent since 2017, according to Andrew Jones, president of Transport Scolaire Élite and Autobus Beaconsfield.
However, bus operators need a budget increase of 35 per cent on the island of Montreal, he said.
Rising operating costs make it difficult to make a profit and increase the drivers' wages. The prices of bus parts have gone up by a third, while the cost of diesel nearly doubled in the past year.
The ministry says it is investing $30 million per year to "attract and retain" the drivers of school buses and minivans, on top of an additional $100-million package to support the school network in this situation.
"We are confident that we will be able to provide our students with a safe and quality service as of the next school year," said Esther Chouinard, the ministry's spokesperson.
But the ministry is still not meeting the funding demands after almost nine months of negotiations, said the school bus operator.
"We're hoping that the ministry will hear us out in time. What we're asking for is 100 per cent justifiable: we want to be able to pay our drivers a decent salary," said Jones.
He says the bus drivers' annual salary is less than $25,000 since they are not paid during the summer break.
Their hourly wage is between $17 and $18, and Jones believes it's not enough to make up for the duty of safely bringing dozens of children to and from school every day.
The Federation of National Trade Unions (CSN), the main union representing school bus drivers in Quebec, is negotiating that bus drivers earn $25 an hour.
In the meantime, the start of the new school year is shaping up to be "critical," according to the Quebec Association of School Executives (AQCS).
"Without school transportation, many students will have no alternative to attend school. This will only accentuate the vulnerability of many areas," the AQCS stated in its opinion on the draft budget rules for 2022-23.
As of now, about 2,500 contracts are not renewed in Greater Montreal, said Jones. Despite wanting to resume operations, his yellow buses won't hit the road on the first day of school if his five-year contract is not negotiated in time.
The new agreement would provide school bus services for Quebec children until 2027.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.