The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority does not have a driver shortage. It has a wage shortage, State Sen. Sean Ryan said Friday.
The NFTA does not pay a competitive wage to its bus drivers compared to drivers in Rochester and Syracuse, even though New York State has increased the authority’s funding by about $10.5 million – or about 20% - since 2015, Ryan said.
He and others called on the authority to increase wages to successfully recruit more drivers.
“We’ve all heard the story," Ryan said. "The NFTA said they had to cut routes because of a driver shortage. They blame the shortage on Covid … but we know one thing that they could do. They could pay their drivers a competitive wage. That’s how you get bus drivers,” he said at a news conference near the Delavan/Canisius College Metro Rail station.
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