Norfolk Public Transportation is getting in gear for the school season after a downturn due to the pandemic

“It’s really hard to lose some of the regular riders,” said Candi Lewis, lead driver for NPT. “And then of course we lost all of the school children we were taking back and forth.”

“That’s just starting back up now, so I’m really excited about that.”

Since March, the department waved the transportation fees in order to keep supporting Norfolk’s most vulnerable population get to where they needed-

“We were their life support,” said Laurie Wiemers, dispatch operator and office manager for NPT. “Especially people that are handicapped and bound to a wheelchair, we were their only means for transportation.”

Now the demand for rides will increase as the schools open their doors. And there is a logistical need that must be met to keep those routes running

“As everything gets more and more back to normal and the rides keep increasing, we need to keep increasing on drivers,” Wiemers said.

The hunt for new drivers is on, and the resume box is open. Though, it’s looking a little light.

“It trickles in. It’s not overwhelming,” Wiemers said.

“We’re trying to get as many as we can get in here. Right now we’re going to be part-time but it will be going into full-time shortly, and we have a new higher pay raise,” said NPT Executive Director Jeanne Doerneman.

To be able to serve both young and old, more driver’s seats will need to be filled.

“We realize that there’s still a really big need in Norfolk not being met. The clientele we have no other way of getting around,” Doerneman said.

And for some passengers, a good bus driver can mean so much more than just a convenient ride-

“They might be the only person they talk to that day,” Doerneman said. “Be that bright spot for them, be friendly, courteous, helpful. They don’t get much interaction with people.”