Article – As the snow piles up outside my Ottawa window, a different storm is brewing in New Brunswick. Parents across the province are learning that their children’s safety on school buses might be compromised by a policy change few saw coming.
Last week, the Higgs government quietly implemented a new maintenance directive that reduces preventative maintenance on school buses from three times yearly to just twice. The change, buried in a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development memo, has sparked concern among drivers, mechanics, and parents alike.
“They’re playing with fire,” says Martin Arsenault, a school bus mechanic with 23 years of experience in Moncton. “These buses run rough routes in all seasons. Cutting inspections by a third isn’t just about paperwork – it’s about catching problems before they become dangerous.”
The policy shift comes as the province faces a 12% increase in bus breakdowns compared to last year. According to Transportation Department data obtained through right-to-information requests, 682 buses required roadside assistance during the 2022-23 school year, leaving thousands of students either stranded or delayed.
For parents like Christine LeBlanc of Fredericton, whose daughter Madeleine spent 40 minutes in -18C weather when her bus broke down in January, the cuts feel personal. “My daughter came home with blue fingertips,” LeBlanc told me during a phone interview. “Now they’re telling us they’ll check the buses less? It doesn’t add up.”
The province’s fleet of 1,326 buses travels roughly 80,000 kilometers daily across varied terrain. Many routes involve unpaved roads that take a toll on vehicles, especially during harsh Maritime winters when salt and slush accelerate corrosion.
Education Minister Bill Hogan defended the change, suggesting it aligns with other jurisdictions. “We’re simply bringing our maintenance schedule in line with industry standards while ensuring all safety protocols are met,” he said during Tuesday’s legislative session.
However, a comparison with neighboring provinces reveals a different story. Nova Scotia maintains three annual inspections for its fleet, while Prince Edward Island performs quarterly checks plus an additional pre-winter inspection specifically targeting brake systems and heating equipment.
The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association has joined the chorus of criticism. Their president, Connie Watson, points out that teachers are often first responders during bus incidents. “We’re putting our most precious cargo – our children – on these vehicles every day,” Watson said. “This isn’t where we should be cutting corners.”
Financial documents suggest the maintenance reduction will save approximately $1.2 million annually – about 0.07% of the province’s $1.8 billion education budget.
Opposition leader Susan Holt questioned these priorities during question period. “When we’re sitting on a $1 billion surplus, why are we cutting corners on student transportation safety? What price are we putting on our children’s wellbeing?”
The policy change has exposed deeper tensions around rural education in the province. In communities like Blackville and Doaktown, where students sometimes spend up to 90 minutes each way on buses, reliability isn’t just convenience – it’s essential infrastructure.
“When a bus breaks down here, it’s not like the city where another one comes in 15 minutes,” explains Sarah Donovan, a parent and school volunteer in Blackville. “Our kids might wait an hour in the cold, or parents who work an hour away have to somehow arrange emergency pickup.”
The maintenance reduction comes amid other transportation challenges. The province faces a bus driver shortage, with 42 unfilled positions as of December. This has led to route consolidations that extend already long rural commutes.
For mechanics like Peter Robichaud in Saint John, the issue goes beyond politics. “I’ve been fixing these buses for 18 years. We’re already stretched thin. Now we’ll be checking less often, but expected to catch all the same problems. Something’s gotta give.”
The Transportation Workers Union has filed a grievance, claiming the change violates safety provisions in their collective agreement. Union representative Thomas Bernard notes that preventative maintenance often identifies issues before they cause breakdowns. “Last year, we caught 128 potential brake failures during routine inspections – that’s 128 potential tragedies avoided.”
As winter deepens across New Brunswick, the question of bus safety will likely gain more traction. Parents at three schools have organized a letter-writing campaign, and a petition demanding the reversal of the policy change has gathered over 4,000 signatures in just five days.
Meanwhile, bus drivers like Marie Cormier from Edmundston feel caught in the middle. “I check my bus every morning, but I’m not a mechanic,” she told me. “I rely on those inspections to keep the 48 kids I transport safe. I know their parents’ names. I see their faces. This isn’t just policy to me.”
As this story unfolds, it highlights a fundamental tension in governance – the balance between fiscal responsibility and essential services. For New Brunswick families braving another Maritime winter, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The province has promised to review the policy if data shows increased breakdowns, but for parents like LeBlanc, that approach feels backward. “You don’t wait for more buses to break down with kids aboard to decide safety matters,” she says. “By then, it’s already too late.”
