Investigators complete inquiry into school bus accident

AN INVESTIGATION into a school bus accident in which a wheel came off a vehicle carrying more than 40 pupils has been completed.

The incident happened when a bus owned by a private operator was bringing students to St John the Baptist School in Hospital, Co Limerick, last September.

Nobody was injured.

As required by regulations, Bus Éireann brought in an external examiner to inspect the seven buses contracted by Bus Éireann from the private operator as part of its school service.

Bus Éireann area manager Miriam Flynn said the external examiner’s report has now been finalised and any issues raised have been dealt with by the bus owner.

She said the private bus operator has been found to comply with all the necessary regulations and his contract has been retained.

Shortly before the incident, the driver slowed down as he suspected a problem was developing with the vehicle.

The bus was almost at a halt when one wheel came off.

All the students were evacuated safely from the bus.

Bus Éireann in Limerick has to provide transport for more than 15,500 students every day to and from school.

The region managed by Bus Éireann in Limerick covers Limerick city and county, Clare, south Galway and north Tipperary.

To cover this area, Bus Éireann runs 70 of its own school buses and contracts more than another 200.