TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Public Schools are holding a transportation fair to fight back against the bus driver shortage that is plaguing the community.
They will be looking for bus drivers and mechanics to hire from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday at 9455 Harney Road in Thonotosassa.
With the county unveiling a new incentive program, officials say they are hoping for a better turnout at the transportation fair.
Also, fingerprinting and background check fees were waived for people applying for these positions.
Hillsborough County, along with school districts across the nation, have been suffering from bus driver shortages and students are feeling the impact.
"Pretty much, [the students] are getting [to school] on-time across the board, what happens is the pick-up times are a little bit different," General Manager of Transportation Services for HCPS Jim Beekman said.
"So what the parents were expecting at a 6:50 a.m. pick up now may be a 7:10 a.m. pick up because we are double running now. That's probably the biggest inconvenience."
According to Beekman, there are three requirements for becoming a bus driver:
- You must have a love for kids.
- You must have a clean driving record and no DUIs.
- You must have no felonies on your record
