The Hawaii Department of Education restored two previously suspended school bus routes on Monday. The bus routes service 36 student-riders at Pāhoa High & Intermediate, Pāhoa Elementary and Keonepoko Elementary. 

Before 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 affected 3,720 students enrolled in school transportation. Along with the recent announcement of the two restored bus routes, the department has reinstated 122 of the previously suspended routes.

The latest restored routes will be serviced by contractor Ground Transport Inc.

Parents and guardians of student riders were notified directly of restored routes and any necessary route modifications. The following school bus routes resumed service on Monday:

Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Complex Area: 2 routes

• Pāhoa High & Intermediate, Pahoa Elementary - SR10A
• Keonepoko Elementary - SR18A/B

Efforts to restore the remaining 16 suspended bus routes are ongoing.

Ground Transport is actively recruiting new drivers, taking advantage of Gov. Josh Green’s Aug. 2, 2024, Proclamation Relating to School Bus Services, which lifted the restriction that only school vehicles may 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, instead of the “S” endorsement specifically required for school bus drivers.

The company is also looking to work with other tour bus operators to further expand capacity.