Concern has emerged that Bus Eireann plans for the future of school bus services in Clare won’t be sufficient to meet demand.
The Principal of St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart says recent changes to the Cranny – Lisseycasey and Lisheen – Ballynacally bus routes has affected at least 17 students this year.
Denis O’Rourke says some children have to travel up to a mile and a half to get a bus, while others have been left without a seat altogether.
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Appeals have been made to Bus Éireann in relation to the decision, but Denis O’Rourke fears that transportation issues could impact heavily on pupil numbers at his school in the future.
Bus Éireann statement
“Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education & Skills. Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department of Education & Skills/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility will be determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the nearest education centre.
All pupils who applied for a School Transport Ticket and paid on time were issued tickets on the school bus services operating into Kildysart Post Primary School. A number of pupils have not been allocated a ticket as they were late payments and services are operating to capacity.
Two of the routes operating into Kildysart Post Primary were altered slightly to facilitate pupils who paid on time and to cater for overloads on other services operating into the School. All families in possession of tickets are within guidelines of a pick-up point”
