The statewide bus driver shortage is impacting students in Hawaii County, especially in the remote areas of West Hawaii.
An incident last Friday involved more than two dozen students from the Ocean View area who attempted to take a Hele-On bus to Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary.
According to state Rep. Jeanne Kapela, the students were stranded when a Hele-On bus driver told them seats were being reserved for other commuters at upcoming stops and they were not able to board.
“This denial of service is unacceptable and potentially illegal,” Kapela said in an email, “This is an ongoing issue that is only growing more severe each day, with between 80 and 100 students now impacted by the transportation crisis.”
Hawaii County Mass Transit Administrator Victor Kandle confirmed the incident and said adjustments have been made.
“On Friday, we did have an operator who wanted to save spots for the regular commuters that come after the school pick-up stop who haven’t been able to get on because there’s no capacity,” Kandle said, adding that roughly 75 students ride the Hele-On bus from Ocean View to Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary. “Going forward, I know for a fact they have another school bus down there now, so that has relieved some of our capacity issues, and we swapped out our regular bus we use on that route for one that has quite a bit more capacity.”
Kandle was unsure about the current number of students utilizing Hele-On transportation in Hawaii County, but said it is more than 100.
“Just the one situation there in Ocean View is about 75 students, and there are at least a handful of schools with children that ride our bus,” he said, estimating there are five current routes for schools. “We’re definitely here to work with the (Department of Education) and fill that gap until they’re able to get more people on board.”
Kapela is calling on the DOE to strengthen transportation services for Ocean View families and those throughout the state by using federal funding.
“The DOE has federal relief funds available that can be used to pay for innovative solutions to boost transportation access, including the acquisition of vans and provision of stipends to school staff and community members willing to serve as drivers,” Kapela said. “I have contacted Hawaii County officials, including Mayor Mitch Roth, to demand an investigation into this incident and obtain reassurance from county officials that it will not happen again.”
Cyrus Johnasen, the county’s Director of Communications, responded on behalf of Roth regarding the incident.
“We have been in contact with Rep. Kapela and wish to assure her and the community that the incident involving a Hele-On bus and DOE students in Ocean View is an isolated event,” he said. “Since taking office, our administration has unwaveringly prioritized equitable education access for all our keiki, actively collaborating with the DOE to address challenges such as driver shortages.
“This commitment is exemplified through our efforts, which included the addition of safer bus stops for school travel and the provision of free vouchers to students, alleviating any financial burden for their families.”
Statewide, the DOE confirmed that Hawaii is short more than 220 drivers of the 650 needed to fully staff all routes, adding that 76 drivers quit their jobs over the last year.
The Big Island is short 71 drivers out of a total of 184 needed to be considered fully staffed and for all routes to be made available.
“The continued shortage of school bus drivers in Hawaii and across the nation requires the temporary reduction of high school bus routes to ensure that bus services can continue for special education and younger students,” said Assistant Superintendent Randy Tanaka in a press release. “We ask our students and families for their continued patience and understanding and we truly appreciate the support of our county partners in making county bus routes a priority option for our students.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.