Private bus operator receiving calls from parents after children left stranded by Bus Éireann
Louise Walsh
A private bus operator has been receiving calls for help from panicked parents whose children have been left stranded by Bus Éireann on school runs.
Parents on a number of routes in Co Louth and Co Meath, whose children had tickets with Bus Éireann for school received an email on Thursday evening to say there was no transport in place for the start of the school year on Monday.
It said: "Despite extensive efforts, we've had trouble setting up transport on some routes, including yours.
"This is mostly because a number of difficulties have arisen in some localities with a small number of contracted services, including the service intended for your child.
"These difficulties have arisen in some cases due to lack of driver or contractor availability and where zero bids were received for a service, despite repeated efforts to procure one.
"We are working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. However, at this point, we do not have a transport solution for your service for the strt of the school year on 25th August.
"I wish to assure you that the school transport team is continuing to prioritise arrangements to ensure transport can be sourced and we will let you know as soon as we have a solution."
It added that the Department of Education and Youth would give a grant payment called the 'Exceptional No Service Grant payment' to cover the cost of getting the child to school.
One of the services affected is the Clogherhead and Termonfeckin route into St Oliver's School in Drogheda and private bus operator Rory McCullough says he has taken calls from worried parents trying to get their children to school.
He also suggested that Bus Éireann should rent the buses of private operators instead of putting many of them out of business through offering students cheaper travel tickets.
"Parents of children I used to bring to school have called me up this morning to ask if I can take their kids for the few weeks until this is sorted," said Mr McCullough, who has been operating school buses for over 25 years.
"I know these parents and of course I can do that. It's about 15 children extra that I will be taking and I have the room for them. I don't blame anyone for applying for the Bus Eireann transport because it is a cheaper option.
"But in reality, these problems happen every single year and Bus Éireann is obviously incapable of providing a reliable service.
"There are local private operators in every town and village and we all work together. Why don't Bus Éireann approach them to rent their buses instead and keep everyone in business and every child sorted."
Meanwhile in Duleek in Co Meath, private operator John Shiels believes he will have to pack in his business of 33 years after this year because of all the children he is losing to Bus Éireann.
"I've lost 70 kids this year and I can't blame them because they can get a family ticket for as little as €150 a year and no private operator could afford to run a service for that price.
"I've been a bus operator for 33 years and for the last 26 years, I have been driving children to school around the East Meath coastline in areas such as Bettystown, Mornington and Laytown.
"We all know the simple solution is for Bus Éireann to rent out our buses instead of not having any buses to bring children to schools while private operators are struggling with buses that are only half full."
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has called on Minister for Education Helen McEntee to take charge of a situation which has left hundreds of children with no means of getting to school.
"It is unacceptable that this level of chaos exists just a handful of days before the school year is due to start," he said.
"There are problems with the school transport system every year but this is worse as it affects hundreds of children across eight services in Meath alone and there are private bus providers out there who have capacity and want to help."
