NYC school bus driver strike looms, but buses will run for students' first days
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A possible school bus driver strike could impact thousands of public school students in New York City.
The good news is the union says bus service will run normally for the first two days of school, on Thursday and Friday, but the bad news is that a strike could still happen in the coming days.
Parents gathered Tuesday to demand the city take action either to prevent the strike or come up with a better contingency plan.
The union that represents the bus drivers, attendants, and mechanics says they simply cannot make ends meet and want to negotiate a fair contract.
The school bus driver strike could impact up to 80,000 students in the New York City public school system. Of those, nearly 25,000 have special needs.
The last school bus strike happened back in 2013 and lasted five weeks. Parents say that the strike caused some students to be stranded at home.
Now once again, there are uncertain times with another possible school bus driver strike.
"We want to do what's right by our bus drivers. They are moving our children to and from," Mayor Eric Adams said.
The city released a contingency plan in the event of a strike.
Students would be given MetroCards if they are able to take public transit.
If that is not an option, families would be reimbursed for alternative transportation, or in some cases, the city may provide ride-share services.
The MTA says they have bus capacity to take students if there is a school bus strike, and they have Access-a-Ride that they can offer for students who are prequalified by the city.
Some parents say this plan isn't going to cut it.
They want a more detailed plan that includes things like unlimited MetroCards for high schoolers and providing schools with money upfront to help families who cannot pay for transportation.
"People depend on the buses," one parent said. "If we don't have the school buses we have got to figure out a way."
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