Sydney schools suffer through ‘unprecedented’ bus driver shortage

Forget the tradition of catching the bus to the school swimming carnival or even hitching a ride home— a shortage of bus drivers is seeing kids lose out, and forcing parents to drive them instead.

Kids are missing out on swimming carnivals because schools are unable to get charter buses amid an “unprecedented” shortage of drivers.

The driver drought has also led to a cut to public bus services across swathes of Sydney.

Parents of students at Greystanes High – the “best sporting school in western Sydney,” according to its annual report – were recently warned that children “would have to make their own way” to Merrylands pool for the carnival, held on Thursday.

In an email sent earlier this month, Greystanes Principal Grant Sparke said that “despite every effort, the school has been unable to secure buses to transport students to and from the (swimming carnival).

“It appears that the bus driver shortage has greatly impacted on the capacity of all bus companies to provide charter services. Our efforts to secure buses commenced in Term 4 last year but to no avail,” Mr Sparke wrote.

“Regrettably, students will need to make their own way to and from Merrylands swimming pool.”

Students at some Sydney schools are missing out on swimming carnivals or can’t get a ride home due to bus driver shortages. Picture: John Appleyard

He also informed the parents that “all teaching staff will be attending the carnival … there will be no capacity for any student to remain at the school site.”

Mr Sparke added: “At this time we are planning for the athletics carnival that is being held on Thursday 2nd of March. At this stage we have also been unable to secure buses for this event.”

Outside Merrylands pool on Thursday after the carnival, many parents expressed frustration.

“I’ve lost 90 minutes of my day,” said Tony Talwar, as he and wife Rita sat in gridlocked traffic in the carpark before picking up daughter Naisha.

Ailin Forouzandeh said the pick-up had cost her 45 minutes of work time.

Tony and Rita Talwar picking their daughter Naisha up from her swimming carnival at Merrylands Swimming Centre. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It’s been awful. The school could come up with some sort of alternative,” she said.

Other parents said they did not consider the situation to be the school’s fault.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said: “I am disappointed to learn some students may have missed out on their swimming carnival due to a bus driver shortage.

“I have asked the department to make sure that the school is able to source transport for the upcoming athletics carnival so students don’t miss out,” Ms Mitchell said.

Charter bus operators say there is an acute shortage of drivers, with many having switched to courier work during the pandemic.

Some truckies have expressed an initial interest in bus work but then baulked at having to pay for the mandated training course.

Those that are available are demanding much higher rates of pay – up to $48 an hour.

The shortage of drivers is also leading to timetable changes on Syney’s public buses. Picture: Gaye Gerard.

Sydney Charter Bus managing director Colin Christian said the shortage is being made worse because an increasing number of schools are excluding Transport for NSW public buses as a carnival option because of a lack of seat belts.

Mr Christian said that after more than halving the company’s fleet during the pandemic, he was now considering expansion.

“But there’s no point buying buses if you don’t have drivers for them,” he said. “We are struggling to find drivers.”

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said “several bus operators across Greater Sydney are currently dealing with unprecedented driver shortages.”

This includes contractors who deliver public bus services for TfNSW.

“Driver shortages are being experienced across Australia and overseas,” the spokeswoman said.

“As a result, contracted bus operators may not have full capacity to support charter requests from schools at present, however this will vary from operator to operator.”

She said there had been “temporary timetable adjustments” to public bus operations – meaning fewer services – in the inner west, southern Sydney, eastern suburbs and Ryde area.

Questions about whether schools were shunning TfNSW buses due to the absence of seat belts went unanswered.

The spokeswoman said a recruitment drive was underway to address the shortage.