COAST impacted by economy wide staffing shortages

DOVER, NH- Due to an acute shortage of CDL-qualified operators, COAST regrettably has announced that they must suspend Saturday service on all fixed routes, ADA paratransit, and other demand response services, and must reduce the weekday frequency of service on Routes 40/43 (Portsmouth/Newington) and Routes 1/33 (Dover/Somersworth/Berwick). Saturday Route 7 On Demand service will shift to Tuesdays for the time being.

These changes will take effect beginning Saturday, May 21.

“We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and want to reassure everyone that we are doing everything in our power to resolve the situation,” remarked Rad Nichols, COAST Executive Director.

Nichols added, “Like many of the other businesses and nonprofits in our communities, COAST’s ability to fulfill our mission is being impacted by economy wide staffing shortages. We are intently focused on regaining control of this situation as quickly as possible so that we can fulfill our promise to the communities, businesses, non-profits, and people we serve. We appreciate the region’s patience and loyalty.”

COAST is encouraging anyone with a CDL-license that wants to work for an employer that is focused on serving the community and providing an essential service, to please visit their website to learn more about the driving opportunities that are currently available and to apply.

Nichols emphasized, "COAST has always recognized that our staff is at the heart of what we do. We have worked tirelessly over the years to build a reputation as a positive, professional, and team-oriented place to work and we offer competitive compensation that includes a generous and diverse benefits package. Our staff come to work every day knowing they are serving their community and helping the Greater Seacoast to be a better place to live and work."

For a full listing of the upcoming service suspensions, please visit www.coastbus.org/https://coastbus.org/upcomingservicechanges.

About COAST

Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to champion and provide customer-focused public transportation with a commitment to excellence in safety and service. COAST is funded primarily by federal and local government support. COAST is governed by a board of directors representing the communities served, two regional planning commissions, and many local and state agencies. For more information, visit www.coastbus.org.

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Editor’s Note: Courtesy image attached. Photo credit: Erin Thomas