Local Bus Routes Affected As Seventeen Santa Clarita Bus Drivers Call Out For COVID-19-Related Reasons In One Day

Local bus routes have been affected after 17 Santa Clarita bus drivers called out of work for reasons relating to the coronavirus on Monday.

Existing staff shortages for Santa Clarita Transit were worsened when 17 of its approximately 148 Santa Clarita bus drivers called out for coronavirus-related reasons Monday.

“We did have drivers call off on a regular basis for the last four weeks at least,” said Adrian Aguilar, transit manager for the City of Santa Clarita. “A majority of the call-outs we’ve experienced in the past few weeks have been COVID-related in some fashion.”

When asked what could have caused the high number of coronavirus-related absences, Aguilar emphasized that the drivers may not have actually caught the virus, and could be staying at home for other reasons.

“They may have been exposed to or having reactions to the vaccination, or have a spouse or somebody that is having reactions to the vaccinations,” Aguilar said. “Or they might have a family member that may have been exposed.”

The absences, which Santa Clarita representatives stressed did not constitute an outbreak, have forced Santa Clarita Transit to make changes to try to keep buses moving on time to serve the community.

“We’re offering drivers overtime to help fill some of these gaps,” Aguilar said. “We’re also using other staff that are licensed, like supervisors, to fill in. In extreme cases…we are having to cancel some trips.”

Aguilar also said MV Transportation, the transportation contractor that the City of Santa Clarita works with, is currently recruiting new staff and putting them through the training process so they can become drivers for the City of Santa Clarita.

The training process takes four to five weeks, meaning the bus driver shortage will likely be affecting Santa Clarita for at least the next month.

But even amid the city’s efforts to make things work, Santa Clarita commuters have been posting on social media with complaints about buses being delayed by as long as an hour or never showing up at their stops at all.

Various precautions are being taken on Santa Clarita’s buses to help reduce coronavirus risk, according to officials.

Buses are sanitized daily and plastic barriers shield bus drivers from riders, Aguilar said.

Contactless and mobile payment options are also available to reduce the likelihood of cross contamination.

“We’re also testing UV filter systems on the buses,” Aguilar said. “UV lights have been installed in ventilation systems in a few buses to clean air as it’s filtered in the vehicle.”

See Related: Ultraviolet Technology Being Researched To Disinfect COVID-19 Particles

Aguilar added that Santa Clarita Transit is in the process of trialing High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in buses.

Masking is still required by federal law on public transportation including buses, but there are currently no distancing requirements in Santa Clarita’s bus system.

Alerts about bus cancellations can be found on the Santa Clarita Transit Twitter page. More resources can be found on the Santa Clarita Transit webpage can be accessed here.

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