NSW Parliament has heard Hunter bus commuters have been left stranded, sometimes mid-route or on the side of busy roads.
A notice of motion moved by Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison noted that the driver shortage was causing significant health and safety risks to vulnerable groups such as school students.
The Opposition has also called on the state government to increase driver recruitment to address the regional transport crisis in regional NSW.
Labor plans to pursue the government over bus driver shortages in the Upper House later this week.
Ms Aitchison is among several Hunter MPs who have been inundated with complaints from parents whose children have been left stranded by cancelled bus services.
Hunter Valley Buses, one of the largest providers of school bus services, operates 3158 trips a week.
The company confirmed it had been forced to cancel more than 80 school bus services since the start of the school year due to the impact of COVID.
"Our priority is to maintain the highest safety standards for our staff and customers while continuing to provide reliable and consistent services as timetabled," a spokesman told the Newcastle Herald.
"Whenever a trip is cancelled, we prioritise school services and provide replacement services where possible to reduce the overall impact on customers.
Executive director of Bus NSW, Matt Threlkeld, said the organisation was working with the state government to remove barriers to employment.
"There needs to be some work to promote school bus driver employment across the state," he said.
"The incentives mainly relate to being able to fund the training that is required for a school bus driver, that can include license upgrades and the need for a bus driver authority."
