About 900 pupils of the Bas-Rhin have been deprived since Thursday, the day of the start of the school year, and until further notice, of school
bus service
due to a "
shortage
" of bus drivers at the operator Keolis, has t - we learned from the Grand Est region.
Keolis had not responded in the early evening.
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"
We estimate at around 900 the number of pupils
", middle and high school students, "
who do not have a
public
transport solution
", and "
900
" others "
who have a solution
" but with "
disrupted
"
schedules
, a indicated David Valence, vice-president of the Grand Est region in charge of Transport, evoking a "
crisis situation
".
23 lines concerned
"
Due to structural difficulties in recruiting in the transport sector, the Fluo Grand Est 67 network is facing a shortage of drivers among its carriers
", indicates on its website the regional public transport network.
In total, 23 Lower Rhine lines are affected, mainly in the north of the department, according to the same source.
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According to David Valence, the operator Keolis, a subsidiary of the SNCF, informed
the region of this situation
"
Friday
" and since then, "
we have worked on solutions
", for example by trying to see "
if there were links which could substitute
”for buses and by proposing a system
of transport
“
coupons
”for pupils who can take the train. These coupons should be sent to the families concerned "
early next week
", he said.
"
We are also in the process of mobilizing regional networks in other departments
" of the Grand Est "
to try to see if there are people who could do missions,
" he added. The elected official was not, however, in a position on Thursday evening to specify when the situation would return to normal. "
Our priority is obviously to work on the 900 students who have no transport solution
", especially "
those in rural areas
", he insisted. "
Keolis (...) must try to free up resources, including human resources, to find a priority transport solution
" for these students, he insisted.