‘Unprecedented’ Bus Driver Shortage Causing Chaos for Sydney Schoolkids

A shortage of bus drivers around Sydney is putting pressure on parents to drive their kids to and from school and school-related events.

This comes after Greystanes High, in Sydney’s west, sent out an email earlier this month notifying parents it couldn’t secure enough buses to take students to their annual swimming carnival last Thursday.

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In the email, Principal Grant Sparke wrote: “It appears that the bus driver shortage has greatly impacted on the capacity of all bus companies to provide charter services.”

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

Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, 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.”

Pointing to the school’s upcoming athletics carnival in March, Ms Mitchell said she has requested that the Department of Education “make sure” Greystanes High is able to source transport.

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman described the driver shortage across Greater Sydney as “unprecedented,” before saying that a recruitment drive was underway.

Just last month, the NSW government cancelled more than 100 bus driver shifts and thousands of trips across Sydney due to the shortage.

Some charter bus operators have said the shortage is attributable to the pandemic, with many drivers having switched to courier work over the last two years.

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