Bus Driver Shortage: Anne Arundel Leader Urges AACPS To Act, Plans Online Forum

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman on Tuesday urged the school system to address the bus driver shortage that has stifled transportation across Maryland. The leader also planned an online forum to hear directly from the drivers.

"We’ve done enough talking," Pittman said in a press release. "Transportation is a fundamental obligation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and it must be provided."

Like districts across the country, AACPS has struggled to maintain reliable bus service this year. The issue stems from a nationwide shortage of commercial drivers, including those for school buses.

The problem got worse Monday in Anne Arundel County after multiple Annapolis Bus Company drivers went on strike. The business is one of several bus contractors that work with AACPS, but this particular labor dispute disrupted transportation from Annapolis to Severn.

AACPS posts a daily list of all the affected routes at aacps.org/buses.

Monday's update showed that 40 buses canceled at least some service. On Tuesday, 80 routes supporting 38 schools didn't operate. The situation improved slightly on Wednesday with 22 buses partially or completely down.

"We will only solve this problem by providing drivers with livable wages," the county executive added. "We’ve talked hiring bonuses, retention bonuses, and higher hourly wages."

Pittman suggested using money from the American Rescue Plan or future county budgets to raise driver pay. He hoped to discuss these ideas with the Anne Arundel County Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting, but the school system denied his request.

"AACPS attorneys said it would need to be in closed session because it involves contracts," Pittman explained. "I said it needed to be public because the public is paying the price."

The county executive's virtual chat with bus drivers is scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Drivers interested in participating can email countyexecutive@aacounty.org. Pittman will livestream the roundtable at facebook.com/AACoExec and on Arundel TV.

"One thing I’ve learned in this job is that moving the bureaucracy is hard," the county executive concluded. "But move it we will."

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RELATED:

• Bus Drivers Go On Strike, Slow School Transportation: Reports

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