Driver shortage results in Westmoreland transit service cuts

Despite a recent uptick in ridership, Westmoreland County Transit Authority will need to cut some commuter bus service to account for an ongoing driver shortage, officials said.

Keeping and retaining drivers has been an issue for the authority since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and that shortage has left the agency unable to fully staff its fleet of more than 40 buses servicing 18 weekday and six Saturday routes to Pittsburgh and locations throughout Westmoreland County.

One in 5 of the authority’s driver jobs are unfilled, Executive Director Alan Blahovec said.

“Because of the lack of drivers, we have to consider cutting back on our service,” Blahovec said.

For now, the authority will reduce four trips on one weekday route on Route 30 that originates in Greensburg and travels to and from Pittsburgh.

Additional cuts could be made unless the driver shortage is resolved.

“This is an emergency due to a lack of staff, and, hopefully, we don’t have to go to more extreme levels than that and maybe cut our Saturday service,” Blahovec said.

The cuts come as ridership has slowly started to rebound after two years of pandemic-related declines. Officials said that on March 3, the authority’s commuter service had nearly 700 daily riders, a figure not seen since early 2020.

As pandemic restrictions ease and more employees return to the workplace — and gas prices skyrocket — the authority expects ridership to continue to climb. Service cuts would negate those increases.

Hiring efforts have not produced a substantial increase in the driver roster, Blahovec said.

To help with recruitment of drivers and to retain existing employees, transit authority board members this week approved a new bonus system for current and newly hired staff. Drivers will receive an immediate bonus of $500, receive a second payment of $1,500 after six months on the job and receive another payout of $1,500 after a year of work.

Technicians and other employees will receive bonuses of half those amounts.

New hires will receive their first $500 bonus after they complete training classes, then be in line to receive the retention awards.

“We need to give them something,” said authority board Chairman Frank Tosto.

The bonuses to existing drivers and staff are projected to cost the authority $165,000 this year and another $35,000 if the agency is able to fill its vacant jobs.

The authority has started advertising for drivers on local radio stations and through social media channels. Applicants can search for authority jobs through a link on the agency’s website.

Westmoreland’s transit driver shortage isn’t unique.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County this week announced it removed 480 employees, including 180 drivers, from their jobs for failure to comply with that agency’s covid-19 vaccine requirement. As a result, that agency has cut service and offered free rides to compensate passengers.

Westmoreland’s transit authority does not have a vaccine mandate for drivers or staff.