A shortage of drivers is forcing Portage County’s public transportation agency to reduce bus service on certain routes in both Kent and Ravenna starting June 13.
General Manager of PARTA Claudia Amrhein said although they have been rigorously advertising for drivers, applicant numbers have been low, possibly due to higher wages at other driving or service jobs.
“We are planning to look at every option that we have for adjusting wages," Amrhein said. "We’ve approached our driver’s union and we’re going to be looking internally this summer, taking a good, hard look at what we can do with the funding and the resources that we have.”
PARTA has looked into the most frequent ridership times and will be maintaining services as best it can during high-traffic times. These changes will not affect Kent State University bus routes.
