ROANOKE, Va. – Countless people in the Roanoke Valley rely on public transportation to get around every day.
Now, staffing issues at Valley Metro could cause some bus schedules to change.
According to Valley Metro’s General Manager, Kevin Price, they are currently down about 25 bus drivers.
“We have to do what we needed to do in order to keep the services that we have,” said Price.
So far, no routes have been canceled, but some routes on weekends have been consolidated.
“On Saturday we’ve combined two routes. There is still transit service on that line but it’s just on the opposite side of the street,” said Price.
Regular bus rider, Laura Hartman noticed that Valley Metro had scaled down operations.
Hartman and others decided to form the organization, B.R.A.G.G., which stands for Bus Riders of Roanoke Advocacy Group, to advocate for more bus operators, shorter wait times, and expanded hours of operation.
“We are advocating for better transit and just to raise awareness that transit is a really important part of our community. It’s the lifeblood. And it has so much potential to improve our community,” said Hartman.
Before any changes can be made, Valley Metro needs to get back to being fully staffed.
Price said they’re doing everything they can to hire more bus operators.
“We go to job fairs. We are thinking about doing vocational exercises with schools. And we have advertisements all over the buses. So if you need a job, this is an awesome place to work,” Price said.
If you’re interested in becoming a bus operator, you can apply on Valley Metro’s website.