Parents call for more road tests in bus crash probe
An independent inquiry set up to investigate the cause of the Ireland’s worst school bus crash, in which 46 students were also injured, was due to report this week.
But Bus Éireann confirmed yesterday that the inquiry chairman, Assistant Garda Commissioner Jim McHugh, has asked for the publication of the report to be delayed by a month because the investigation was taking longer than expected.
One of the main reasons for this delay is the refusal by Meath County Council to allow the independent inquiry to carry out further vital road surface tests.
Mary McCabe, whose 15-year-old daughter, Aimee, died in the crash, said: “Both my husband Gus and I want to know exactly what happened and we have no problem with the inquiry carrying out more tests on that road.”
The road on which the Bus Éireann school bus turned over was without a vital top layer of tar and chips needed to give it grip in wet weather and allow vehicles to travel at normal speed.
Several skid tests were carried out on the road after the crash but it is believed that the Bus Éireann board of inquiry wanted to carry out more sophisticated tests.
It wrote to Meath County Council seeking facilitation for a base layer of road surface to be poured onto the stretch of road to simulate the state of the road where the crash occurred.
But Meath County Council director of services and infrastructure Eugene Cummins yesterday defended its decision not to allow Bus Éireann carry out more tests.
Mr Cummins said the council had co-operated fully with the independent inquiry allowing it to carry out testing.
But it does not want further tests because it would add to the suffering of the family who have to travel up and down the road every day, Mr Cummins said.
“Our priority is the unfortunate people who have to live on the road every day and pass up and down and look at where the accident occurred. There was no way we would allow this to be replicated again in the eyes of people who have to live with that for the rest of their lives,” he said.
He insisted the council had co-operated fully with the investigation and Meath County Council took this decision on the basis that these new tests could be carried out on a road in any other county.
