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School bus delays seen in Halton normal for this time of year: HSTS by Graeme Frisque Metroland West Media 5 | Friday September 8, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insidehalton.com Parents and students who found themselves waiting for delayed school buses on Tuesday (Sept. 5) should see things return to schedule shortly. According to general manager at Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS), Karen Lacroix, school bus delays in Halton Region on the first day of school were mostly normal and should be corrected in short order. "The vast majority of delays this morning were caused by high traffic around schools, construction and some mechanical issues with buses which is typical for the first few days in September," said Lacroix in an emailed comment. According to the HSTS website this morning, there were dozens of routes delayed across the region ranging anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. However, Lacroix said only 1.5 per cent of HSTS's fleet was delayed due to a shortage of school bus drivers. "(Thirteen) of HSTS's 860 runs, which include runs for both the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board, that were late this morning (approximately 1.5 per cent) could be attributed to a shortage of school bus drivers," said Lacroix. HSTS posted an announcement on its website leading up to the new school year warning parents of the possibility of service being affected in Oakville and Burlington as a result of the shortage. "As the new school year approaches, Halton school bus operators have advised Halton Student Transportation Services (HSTS) that there may be a shortage of school bus drivers in Oakville and Burlington that could impact school bus operations this September. The Halton school bus operators and HSTS have been working diligently on a daily basis to minimize any possible delays that could impact students and families," read the announcement. Despite the issues, which continued to a lesser degree on Tuesday's trip home for some students, Lacroix says most of the issues should be sorted out fairly quickly. "We do not anticipate any significant delays in the Halton Hills area beyond the typical delays that occur the first few days of every September," she said. HSTS has a webpage dedicated to cancellations and delays updated in real time available to all students and parents at geoquery.haltonbus.ca/Cancellations.aspx. Thinking of Retiring... Someday? Let's Talk. Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI Jennifer Watson B.A. 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 peterwatsoninvestments.com Burlington Women's Recreational Soccer League The Original women's soccer league in Burlington We have been providing soccer to women in the Burlington community since 1994! We offer the best value for your money for women's indoor soccer with the season running from October to April. WWW.BWRSL.COM BWRSL Registration is now open so check out Burlington Women's Recreational Soccer League bwrsl.com for more information!