Parents hit out at Bus Éireann’s used school bus plans

BUS ÉIREANN has come under fire for plans to add to its school bus fleet by buying second-hand buses.

The company has advertised for suppliers who would be able to provide up to 100 single-decker buses that have already been on the road for between four and six years.

The move comes after a series of accidents and incidents involving Bus Éireann and private buses on school routes in the past 13 months.

Six pupils died in the accidents, prompting calls for a radical overhaul of the school transport fleet.

Bus Éireann spokeswoman Erica Roseingrave defended the decision to advertise for second-hand buses, saying that at four to six years old, they would be younger than most buses used on school routes, the average age of which is 15.

Buses are brought from the road passenger fleet into school transport, so it would be quite common for second-hand buses to be put into service on school routes. School buses do lower mileage so second-hand buses are very suitable.”

But Anita McCann, National Parents’ Council (Primary) chairwoman, accused Bus Éireann of putting money before children. “Everything seems to start with the cost factor — it should start with school safety,” she said.

“At this stage they [Bus Éireann] should be saying we have had one tragedy too many and the standard of bus they get should be the highest possible, and never mind the cost.

“We believe that we should have buses used for a maximum of five years and then taken out of service.”

Fine Gael’s education spokesperson Olwyn Enright said the plan made no sense from a financial or safety point of view. “Those buses are going to get older much quicker and have to be replaced much quicker so even from an economic perspective it’s not the best way of going about it.”

Bus Éireann gave assurances the buses must already be fitted with seat belts. Seat belts become mandatory on school buses from this December.

Ms Roseingrave added that the company was buying 20 new buses specifically for the school bus fleet to go into service from the autumn. The school bus fleet is being expanded after orders to end the practice of seating three children in seats for two.

Bus Éireann is back in court next week to face charges in relation to the deaths of five pupils killed in the Navan school bus crash in May last year.