The state Department of Education has announced that 20 previously suspended school bus routes in Central Oahu will be reinstated starting Monday, restoring service for approximately 604 students across seven schools.
This follows last week’s restoration of 34 routes, which served 1,200 students.
In ongoing efforts to restore suspended routes, bus service contractor Ground Transport Inc. has secured additional drivers and buses through a subcontract with Polynesian Adventure Tours. The newly reinstated routes will be served by buses from GTI, Roberts Hawaii and Polynesian Adventure.
To speed up the restoration of bus service, seven of the reinstated routes will use Polynesian Adventure motor coaches instead of the traditional yellow school buses. To ensure safe turning and driving, these routes and stop locations might be adjusted in residential areas to accommodate the larger motor coaches.
Parents and guardians of student riders will be informed directly about the restored routes and any required adjustments.
“Every possible remedy is being investigated to restore suspended school bus routes and we thank our students and their families for their patience,” DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement Wednesday. “We are working diligently with our contractor to get every available driver and to train new drivers to get more routes back into service as quickly as possible.”
The 20 routes set to be restored on Monday will add to the 34 routes already reinstated on Aug. 12, with ongoing efforts to bring back the remaining 93 suspended routes.
Hayashi has formally requested assistance from the Hawaii National Guard to address student transportation needs. Additionally, the DOE is working with the mayors of Hawaii, Maui and Honolulu counties to increase capacity on public transportation routes that students can use to get to and from school.
Ground Transport is actively recruiting new drivers under the governor’s emergency proclamation to expedite the hiring process.
The proclamation temporarily allows drivers with a commercial driver’s license and a “P” endorsement — permitting them to transport passengers — to operate school buses, bypassing the “S” endorsement usually required for school bus drivers. The company is also exploring partnerships with other tour bus operators to further expand capacity.
The following school bus routes in Central Oahu will be back in service beginning Monday:
Aiea-Moanalua-Radford Complex Area:
>> Aiea Intermediate — HR02A
>> Aliamanu Middle — HR07A, HR08A, HR14A
>> Moanalua High — HR19B, HR20B
>>Radford High — HR14B, HR16B
Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Area:
>> Leilehua High — CR13B, CR18B, CR20B
>> Mililani Middle — CR01B, CR01C, CR02B, CR04A, CR04B, CR05A, CR05B
>> Wahiawa Middle — CR13A, CR17B
