CyRide is facing a serious shortage of drivers, and if the bus service doesn’t get new drivers soon, it might result in cuts in service.

Bob Bourne, director of CyRide, said CyRide now has about seven or eight openings, a lot for this time of the year.

“Usually we are filled up by this time of year,” he said. “We always have a shortage in September, but our applicant flow has been very low this year.”

A normal staff includes 75 drivers, 25 working full time and 50 working part time.

Bourne said the shortage is the worst he’s seen in his 19 years at CyRide. “I’m worried right now; I passed the point of not worrying a couple of weeks ago.”

Although no routes have been compromised yet, if the positions aren’t filled by the time snow begins to fly, Bourne said bus service will probably be slower.

“We need 39 drivers every morning,” he said. “On snow days, we’ll need some extra drivers. If the positions aren’t filled, we won’t have the extra buses during peak periods, causing buses to be later than they usually are.”

Bourne also said some drivers might have to be taken off of the Orange Route, causing longer delays at the bus stop for commuter students.

Bourne had many ideas about the reason for the driver shortage.

“A lot of people are getting internships in their field,” he said. “People don’t come to Iowa State to drive a bus; they come to go to school.”

He also said although the starting wage, $8.53 per hour, is relatively high, the job demands a lot of concentration for the money.

“A lot of people aren’t willing to come to work alert every day,” he said. “And because the city has a contract with our labor union, our wages are pretty well fixed for the rest of the year.”

Some drivers have been making a little extra cash, though. Because of the shortage, many drivers have been putting in extra hours, Bourne said.

“People are working a lot of overtime,” he said. “It’s expensive, and it’s costing us a lot of money.”

Bourne also said CyRide supervisors are taking a lot of routes, meeting their driving quotas much earlier in the year than usual.

Chris Wisher, part-time CyRide driver, said he’s had to put in a few more hours than he would prefer, but the shortage hasn’t been too bad yet.

“We’re actually doing a lot better than we thought we would,” said Wisher, junior in pre-business. “I’m working about three hours more per week than I’d like to.”

Wisher said although the extra hours haven’t been a heavy burden yet, he could see problems on the horizon.

“I think there’s a possibility that pressure will increase on part-time drivers when we get further into the semester,” he said.

But Wisher didn’t think the pressure would ever get too intense on part-time drivers, though.

“CyRide is really good with working around your schedule, and they never force you to take a shift,” he said. “It’s up to the management to find a way to fill those shifts.”

For his part, Bourne is taking some proactive measures to get people in the driver’s seat.

Along with various advertisements, CyRide had a Try-It Day on Thursday, letting anyone who filled out a CyRide application try their hand at driving an actual bus in the southeast parking lot of the Iowa State Center.

“One of the main complaints we’ve had is that people don ‘t think they can handle the big buses,” said Kris Woolley, one of the CyRide supervisors helping out at Try-It Day.

Nate Yoder, sophomore in pre-business, gave driving the 40-foot bus a try on Thursday. “I thought it would be kind of fun,” he said.

Yoder said he had tried to get a job at CyRide last year, but the service already had filled up its schedule.

“Hopefully, this year they can find a spot for me,” he said.