On November 9, the Maplewood Department of Public Works announced that “due to unforeseen circumstances, Maplewood Jitney service may experience delays and disruptions in the coming days.”
Maplewood Township Committee member Vic DeLuca confirmed that the “delays and disruptions” were due to a shortage of drivers, much like that experienced by the South Orange-Maplewood School District.
Shortly after the disruptions announcement, Maplewood DPW posted a call for applications for part-time jitney drivers: “Duties include but are not limited to: following a specified route daily, assisting passengers, record keeping (route attendance), etc. Applicants should possess a high school diploma or GED and valid driver’s license—CDL REQUIRED. ” See more about the job requirements and application process here.
DPW is accepting applications on or before Friday, November 19 at jobs@twp.maplewood.nj.us.
After more than a year of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maplewood reintroduced jitney service in September only to scale back routes in October due to low ridership. Meanwhile, South Orange delayed the resumption of jitney service until November, with limited routes returning on Monday, November 15.
Meanwhile, Maplewood DPW promised riders that “residents will be notified of any planned schedule changes as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible.”
