Seattle school bus delays expected this week as system ramps back up

Safety over speed is one of the reasons many dozens of Seattle school bus routes are expected to be late getting kids to and from school for at least the next few days.

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About one-fifth of the Seattle school buses were behind schedule Wednesday morning on the first day of school for the district. However, Tim Robinson, media relations specialist with Seattle Public Schools, says delays like this are a yearly issue at SPS and at districts across the county.

“Part of the reason for this is because getting up to speed with 350 buses and the hundreds of routes, and all the drivers, it takes time to shake off the cobwebs,” Robinson told KIRO Radio.

Jay Brock is the spokesperson for First Student, the contractor who operates the buses.

“We’ve learned a lot from the morning run and we can now incorporate that into the afternoon run,” Brock told KIRO Radio on Wednesday.

Brock also noted that it’s been more than a year since they’ve sent buses out and ramping up is a major effort. He says there are a lot of new drivers learning their routes this year, and a lot of back-up drivers to cover for workers who can’t make their shift.

The company is still working to hire more drivers and iron out known problems.

“Our focus is safe delivery,” he said.

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Meanwhile, Brock says the district’s transportation webpage is the best way to stay informed about late or canceled buses. First Student does expect that the challenges and delays will be overcome and service will be within acceptable ranges in the coming days.