Parents’ fears over school run safety
Thursday, 18 September 2008
A Cushendall parent said she fears lives will be lost due to overcrowding on a school bus from the village to Ballycastle.
The woman, who did not wish to be identified, said her son often has to stand for the duration of the journey, while other pupils are forced to share a seat with up to three others.
Her son attends Cross and Passion College, and he has to pay to travel on the Translink school bus as he does not attend the closest secondary school to his home address.
She said: "We have to pay to get him on the bus but this year it is just too packed and there are too many people on it. Pupils have to sit three or four to a seat and others have to stand.
“It is a real safety issue and I feel very annoyed about. Other parents feel the same, and we have no positive reaction when we say anything about it.
“My son has had to stand the whole way from Cushendall to Ballycastle. Last year, they used a double decker bus as there were so many people and something needs to be done about it now. I think someone will be killed if nothing is done about the situation."
A Translink spokesperson said they are aware of problems with overcrowding on the route, and they will be monitoring the situation, from Tuesday (September 16).
In a statement to The Chronicle, a spokesperson said: "At the start of the school term we monitor services. We are aware this service is busy and will monitor it from tomorrow (September 16). We will make adjustments to this service accordingly if these are required."
Mrs Barbara Ward, principal of Cross and Passion College, said the school was committed to ensuring the safety of its pupils at all times.
She said: "Our main concern is the absolute safety of our pupils as they travel to and from school, and Translink need to be doing everything they can to guarantee that.
“The issue of overcrowded buses is not particular to this area, and is an on-going problem in all areas. The school would support parents, and work with them to get Translink to extend their bus provision.
“Our concern is to make sure the school journey is safe, and no-one is at risk from standing or being on an overcrowded bus."
In September 2000, prompted by concerns about the safety of children travelling to and from school and specifically about overcrowding on buses, the Environment Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly initiated a public inquiry into home to school transport.
Recommendations
The inquiry into Transport used for Children Travelling To and From School examined the legislation governing the number of schoolchildren allowed to travel on buses, considered the safety of schoolchildren when large numbers travel on buses, and considered the need to amend the legislation to restrict the numbers of schoolchildren on buses.
The final Inquiry Report, which contained 28 recommendations, was published in September 2001.
The report contained four key recommendations, which included the abolition of the provision that allows three children under the age of 14 to share two seats while carriages of pupils in excess of seating capacity should only be allowable in exceptional circumstances.
In September 2006, the Government announced an additional £37 million investment in school bus provision to make the journey to and from school safer and more comfortable for local pupils.
The Government aims included abolishing the possibility of seating three children on a two-person seat by September 2007, and ensuring that from this date, new buses intended principally for school work would have high visibility signs and lights to alert other road users.
It said it aimed to end the practice of pupils standing during journeys by April 2009.
