Transportation

Bus driver shortage hurts D.C. region’s ability to return to pre-pandemic transit service levels

The staffing problem could escalate as more people resume normal routines and commutes in the new year

By Luz Lazo
November 26, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. EST

Nearly two years into the pandemic, transit systems battling a decline in passengers and fare revenue in the Washington region are facing another hurdle: a bus driver shortage that threatens their ability to resume normal operations.

Some bus systems can’t return to pre-pandemic service levels because they don’t have enough workers to drive the routes, transit officials said, while others are delaying service enhancements. The staffing problem, a reflection of a national labor shortage, could escalate as more people resume normal routines and commutes in the new year.

“We are having challenges — just like every other organization that relies on people with commercial driver’s licenses — to have the staff available to fully restore the service the way we hope to,” said Chris Conklin, transportation director in Montgomery County, which runs the region’s second-largest bus system.

The shortage is another hindrance to the region’s return to normalcy amid the pandemic and the latest twist for transit organizations seeking to capitalize on a return to in-person work.

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By Luz Lazo
Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Twitter https://twitter.com/luzcita