Updated 3:54 pm
The Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) announced reductions to multiple bus lines from Monday, August 22, to Saturday, Oct. 1, have been implemented due to a shortage of drivers with commercial driving licenses (CDL). This change will remain until the VTA switches to its off-season schedule on Sunday, Oct. 2. The revised schedules will affect bus routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 13. A list of revised bus schedules can be found at bit.ly/3PLyIdr. “We apologize for the inconvenience,” the announcement states.
VTA administrator Angie Gompert told The Times this was the third time the bus routes have experienced scheduling cuts during the summer season. This time, drivers leaving before their stated leave dates led to the bus schedule reductions.
“We knew we would have to make some cuts post-busiest week because we had … folks going back to college, things of that nature,” Gompert said. “We had some other people who had a leave date in early September, and some that have committed to Oct. 2, and then we lost five people whom we weren’t planning to lose until Oct. 2.”
Gompert said the shortage of CDL drivers is a national issue, and there weren’t many drivers who committed to driving for the VTA when the summer season began. “A bunch of people just didn’t come, so that caused the initial service cuts, and secondary cuts when another group of them didn’t come,” Gompert said. “Because we were so short-staffed, we were not able to train during the course of the summer for additional CDL [drivers] for the fall, which we knew we needed. It’s kind of been a snowball effect.”
Now there are people who could be driving, but cannot because they did not receive the necessary training. Fortunately, Gompert told The Times that other services the VTA provides, such as Medivan, will not be affected by the driver shortage, since these use drivers from another pool of workers, who do not need a CDL.
To adapt to the lack of CDL drivers, the VTA shifted to off-season schedules earlier than planned for the Up-Island routes 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. For busier lines, like routes 1 and 13, bus frequencies had to be reduced.
“Service cuts are hard, obviously, in the peak season,” Gompert said. Even so, the “early morning trips” will be maintained, since many people use them to get to work. In a similar vein, the late-night buses will run daily, instead of just Fridays and Saturdays, through Sept. 10.
Gompert acknowledged that the reduced schedule is “less than ideal” for people. For example, a day tripper trying to travel from Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs may need to wait an hour longer than before, when waiting for the bus at Aquinnah.
“We’re doing the best we can with the resources that we have,” Gompert said. “We’re still trying to serve everyone as adequately as we can.”
Updated with information from VTA administrator Angie Gompert.
