Columbia’s bus driver shortage impacting Monday routes

Columbia’s continued staffing shortages involving bus drivers has led to GoCOMO transit’s decision to combine bus service routes for Monday.

Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that there’s currently a shortage of 13 full-time bus drivers. GoCOMO’s bus operators are working a mandatory 12-hour overtime schedule, according to a report that was presented to the city council in May.

While normal weekday bus service will resume Tuesday morning,  GoCOMO plans to combine the current six fixed bus routes to three in August, due to the staffing shortage. The city has been having discussions with Moberly Area Community College (MACC) regarding a class offering for potential drivers to earn a CDL and necessary license endorsements for driving a bus.

Members of Laborers’ Local 955 demonstrated outside of city hall during city manager De’Carlon Seewood’s recent state of the city address. Union spokesman Andrew Hutchinson told 939 the Eagle that day that the reason bus routes are being cut is because the city can’t properly recruit and retain staff.

You can read specifics about Monday’s Columbia bus routes here.