Gov. Josh Green has extended emergency provisions，使夏威夷州教育部能够继续解决校车司机短缺问题，该问题已导致学生交通服务中断。这些规定使该部门能够在过去两个月内实施替代交通方式并恢复暂停的校车路线，确保学生能够安全往返学校。
“Education of our keiki is an absolute priority,” Governor Green said. “Getting our keiki to their classrooms has always been a state responsibility and remains so, despite challenges brought about by wildfires, other natural disaster, or in this case, a workforce shortage. We enacted the Emergency Proclamation to ensure our children have no barriers to receiving their education.”
自 8 月初新学年开始以来，该部门 恢复100条公交线路 瓦胡岛、毛伊岛和夏威夷岛。受影响学生中，有 88% 已恢复服务，共 3,720 名学生中有 3,263 名已恢复服务。目前正在积极努力恢复另外 38 条路线。
“We are deeply thankful to Governor Green for extending the emergency proclamation, which has been crucial in mitigating the school bus driver shortage. Thanks to this flexibility, we’ve been able to deploy multiple solutions to restore routes. We also extend our gratitude to the affected schools and parents for their ongoing patience and understanding as we continue to work toward full resolution,” Deputy Superintendent Randy Moore said.
这 emergency proclamation allows for the temporary use of tour buses to transport regular education students, a solution that has enabled school bus contractor Ground Transport Inc. to subcontract with such providers as Polynesian Adventure Tours. This collaboration has been instrumental in filling transportation gaps.
这 proclamation also provides critical flexibility with procurement rules, allowing the Department to contract directly with additional providers like Roberts Hawai‘i to supply buses and drivers in shortage areas.
It further permits Ground Transport to place drivers on school buses before they have fully completed their licensing process. Although full licensure —commercial driver’s licenses with a “P” endorsement to drive passengers and an additional “S” endorsement to drive school buses — is still required for permanent positions, these provisions help speed up the availability of drivers in the short term.
这 emergency proclamation, which has played a vital role in maintaining student transportation services, has been extended through Nov. 30, 2024.
