After a long winter of late buses and no-shows, the company that runs school-bus service in the Halifax area promises to improve services.
Stock Transportation says it's heard the complaints, but some parents say they're not yet convinced.
Seeing the bus come down the road to pick up your kids on time should be a sight you can count on, but some parents say it wasn't a sure thing.
Emma Skeete says many parents have played the waiting game with buses from Stock Transportation.
“In the cold, thinking I'm going to be waiting for 15 minutes max, I'm waiting for an hour and a half,” she said.
The only way to find out the schedule is on Stock's Twitter account, which parents say isn't consistent.
“There's barely ever an update on Twitter,” said Eli Helpard.“You're sitting there, you know a rain day, you'll be sitting there with your children, waiting for the bus to come and it just doesn't come. And you just shrug your shoulders.”
It's complaints like these that Stock says will change the way they operate. They are unveiling a new website, and an app that will track busses and students. They will also bring in cameras on the buses, and a hotline for complaints.
In an e-mail, Stock tells CTV that they apologize for the challenges of the past year.
They say that Twitter was not the best option for communication, and they are moving to a system that will push notifications directly to parents.
But not everyone is convinced.
“I've never received a call back once from Stock Transportation on any complaint I have ever made towards them,” Helpard says.
Skeete says these measures should have already been in place.
“I feel they're playing catch up,” she said.
Stock Transportation says the app and new website should be up and running by September. They also hope to have the camera system installed by next year.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Emily Baron Cadloff.
