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GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED to spend between €87 to €135 million hiring an additional 1,600 school bus drivers, buying new vehicles and employing 650 bus escorts in order to comply with social distancing advice.
Public health advice received shortly before schools reopened this month advised that the post-primary scheme should run at 50% capacity.
While a government spokesperson said this was put in place where possible over the last number of weeks, Bus Eireann was also tasked with carrying out a detailed analysis of the resources required to fully implement the advice on all routes.
Currently there are 1,600 school bus routes in operation around the country.
Over 97,600 children are being transported daily to school on the Primary and Post-Primary Transport Schemes. In addition, 14,500 children with special needs are being transported daily to school.
Government today agreed to provide the necessary funding “to ensure that full implementation of the public health recommendation”.
In order to adhere to the current public health advice, Bus Éireann is implementing different methods of providing extra capacity with existing operators, including upgrading vehicles, additional school runs and additional vehicles being provided.
Where additional services will need to be procured, Bus Éireann has put in place a a list of other operators that are willing to provide additional services where required.
“The ability to implement physical distancing on all services is critically dependent upon the ability to source these additional resources,” said a government spokesperson.
A number of TDs have highlighted issues with the operation of the school transport scheme during the pandemic.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Transport, Darren O’Rourke has criticised the government in recent weeks, stating that thousands of families have been left with no transport options for their children.
He claimed there are 6,120 fewer children being accommodated on school transport this year compared to last.
“Demand has remained. Supply has disappeared,” he said last week.
Thousands of other children, who would normally secure a place on buses on the concessionary ticket scheme, have also been left without a place this year.
“Covid-19 is a factor, but Government’s complete failure to plan, to prepare and to deliver are a larger factor,” said O’Rourke. He said an additional burden has been placed on families who are trying to juggle work, family life and other commitments at this challenging time and they are getting ignored by the system.
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The sooner these bottom feeders are brought to justice the better.
Just seems like a no brainer that if you want to tackle crime at a high level you just target the proceeds of crime. I can’t fart without the taxman knowing and yet these lads can build empires by laundering money … less detectives and more accountants should sort it out.
@Pablo: What’s the going rate of tax for a fart these days? I could be in trouble
I suspect that more people are driven into poverty and maintained there by loopholes to protect the wealthy than are affected by the targets of this.
Yes, the drug culture and those who profit from it and the crime generated by their greed needs to be sorted but the consumers in a lot of cases are so called respectable members of society who don’t seem to see the link between recreational use of white powder and murder on the streets – usually on streets that are seldom visited by such people.
Drug dealing is a crime against society but so is creating loopholes to allow wealthy people to avoid their proper contribution to society from which they get a lot more benefit.
I opened a credit union account for my daughter a couple of months ago, the length of the form to fill out was unbelievable. My daughter said she never signed her signature as many times. Yet these people are able to acquire money from crime and very few questions asked.
have your say