Six previously suspended school bus routes restored in East Hawai‘i

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education announced Thursday that 13 previously suspended school bus routes in Central Oʻahu and East Hawaiʻi Island will be reinstated starting Monday, restoring service for nearly 300 student bus riders at eight schools.

Two routes were restored for schools Hilo Intermediate and Hilo High School in the Hilo-Waiākea Complex Area. Additionally, four routes were restored for Keaʻau High School and Pāhoa High & Intermediate Schools in the Ka‘ū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Complex Area.

The latest restored routes will be serviced by bus service providers Ground Transport Inc., Roberts Hawai‘i, and Polynesian Adventures. Parents and guardians of student riders will be notified directly of restored routes and any necessary route modifications.

In August, 108 bus routes statewide were suspended, impacting 2,900 students, due to a lack of bus drivers. Over the past several weeks, routes have slowly been restored.

According to a press release from the Department of Education on Thursday, 91 routes statewide have been restored. Fifty-six routes are still suspended.

Ground Transport is actively recruiting new drivers, leveraging the governor’s emergency proclamation to streamline the hiring process. The proclamation allows drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) 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.

The company is also exploring partnerships with other tour bus operators to further expand capacity.

More updates will be provided as additional bus routes are restored.