Back door of bus fell off

THE back door of a bus carrying pupils from a Tipperary national school fell off while the children were on board yesterday.

The 50-seat bus has been ordered off its route in Borrisoleigh by gardaí and CIE had been notified.

According to eyewitness Maurice Magner, the bus had just left the school in Borrisoleigh and was travelling out of the town when the incident occurred.

“We were stuck behind the bus and saw it picking the students up from the school. As it was travelling out of the town it stopped to let children off. My friend pointed out the back of the bus to me. I thought it was some new kind of door the way it was positioned but then I realised it was falling off. A passing motorist stopped and he and driver put it into the back of the bus,” he said.

Mr Magner said there were about a dozen national school pupils onboard, mostly sitting near the front. He rang the gardaí and Department of Transport to report the incident. “I have a young child myself and I just wanted to make sure it could not go back on the road in that state,” he said.

Gardaí in Borrisoleigh yesterday examined the Collins Coaches 1994 Cork-registered bus and last night a garda spokesman confirmed the vehicle had been removed from service and the matter had been reported to CIE. “It must be kept out of service until it has been fully checked over by a Public Service Vehicle inspector,” a garda spokesman said. The school from which the pupils had come was unavailable for comment last night.