The Hawaii Department of Education will restore another 20 previously suspended school bus routes on Aug. 26, restoring service to more than 600 student-riders at seven Central Oahu schools. 

What You Need To Know

  • Prior to the start of the school year, HIDOE suspended 147 school bus routes in Central Oahu, East Hawaii Island and Central and Upcountry Maui because of an ongoing statewide shortage of school bus drivers and vehicles
  • Last week, the department reinstated 34 previously suspended routes, restoring service to about 1,200 students
  • Bus service contractor Ground Transport Inc. has been working to secure additional drivers and buses by subcontracting with Polynesian Adventure Tours
  • Ground Transport is actively recruiting new drivers, taking advantage of Gov. Josh Green’s Aug. 2 Proclamation Relating to School Bus Services, which lifted the restriction that only school vehicles may be used to transport students and included specific provisions within employment-related law to allow for qualified drivers to serve in a student transportation capacity

Prior to the start of the school year, HIDOE suspended 147 school bus routes in Central Oahu, East Hawaii Island and Central and Upcountry Maui because of an ongoing statewide shortage of school bus drivers and vehicles. The service interruption initially impacted 3,720 students enrolled in school transportation. Last week, the department reinstated 34 previously suspended routes, restoring service to about 1,200 students.

Bus service contractor Ground Transport Inc. has been working to secure additional drivers and buses by subcontracting with Polynesian Adventure Tours. The latest restored routes will be services by buses from GTI, Roberts Hawaii and Polynesian Adventure.

“To expedite the return of bus service, seven of the restored routes will be serviced by Polynesian Adventure motor coaches instead of traditional yellow school buses,” HIDOE said in a statement released on Wednesday. “These bus routes and stop locations may be modified in residential areas to accommodate the larger motor coach frame to ensure safe turning clearances and driving operations.”

Parents and guardians of student riders will be notified directly of restored routes and any necessary route modifications. The following school bus routes will resume service on Aug. 26:

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

“Every possible remedy is being investigated to restore suspended school bus routes and we thank our students and their families for their patience,” said superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “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.”

Hayashi has formally requested assistance from the Hawaii National Guard to support student transportation needs. HIDOE has also been collaborating 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, taking advantage of Gov. Josh Green’s Aug. 2 Proclamation Relating to School Bus Services, which lifted the restriction that only school vehicles may be used to transport students and included specific provisions within employment-related law to allow for qualified drivers to serve in a student transportation capacity.

The proclamation allows drivers with a commercial driver’s license and a “P” endorsement (permitting them to transport passengers) to operate school buses temporarily, in lieu of the “S” endorsement specifically required for school bus drivers.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.