Sherbrooke Transit Corporation prepares for school bus strike
The Sherbrooke Transit Corporation (STS) has announced its preparedness in the event of a province-wide strike by school bus drivers announced for Tuesday, May 15 by the Federation of Public Service Employees (FEESP-CSN0).
Should a strike occur, school transportation will be disrupted in Sherbrooke and the Commission scolaire de la Région de Sherbrooke (CSRS) has already informed its partners unless a the FEESP changes its mind, school transportation of all students will be canceled.
While the STS is still unable to assess the impact of this situation on its urban and paratransit network with any accuracy, but it appears that it could lead to a larger volume of cars on the road than usual, resulting in delays in the network and increased traffic on buses.
As a precaution, the STS is encouraging customers to plan their trips a bit earlier in anticipation of a longer trip to get to their destination. Commuters can follow the situation by visiting the website at sts.qc.ca or the Vermeille mobile application.
The bus drivers’ strike could also disrupt transportation for some students from the Eastern Townships School Board.
According to the ETSB website, Massey-vanier High School, Farnham Elementary, Knowlton Academy and Parkview Elementary School have transportation contracts with companies Autobus Granby, Sogesco (9292-3068 Québec) and Yamaska, which are part of the FEESP and included in the potential strike action.
Parents are asked to monitor the ETSB website (www.etsb.qc.ca) and the ETSB Facebook page to know whether or not the strike is confirmed. In the event of a strike, schools will remain open and classes will proceed as usual and parents are asked to make arrangements to possibly transport their children to and from school on Tuesday, May 15.
The board also pointed out that the situation will likely result in increased traffic flow around the affected schools and asked that parents or guardians transporting students drive with caution while in school zones.