FAULT FOR SCHOOL BUS FIASCO LIES AT DOOR OF EDUCATION MINISTER
5 September 2022
- Nash demands explanation as to why ‘additional capacity is not being sought’
Deputy Ged Nash has demanded to know why Bus Eireann has ruled out adding additional buses and services to cater for the demand to address the local school transport fiasco.
He said;
“The fault for this whole fiasco lies at the door of the Minister for Education. This whole saga is a monument to bad planning and poor policy making.
“In a circular issued to public representatives today (Monday) Bus Eireann is essentially saying they are now closed for business on the school transport front and if you don’t have a concessionary ticket already, then it’s unlikely you will get one this year.
“This is a massive two fingers to local parents and children who have been left hanging. To add insult to injury, Bus Eireann has said that no ‘additional capacity will be sought’.
“This is unforgivable and tone deaf and I have asked them to explain why they will not add services, given the clear demand that exists across the area.
“I have been dealing with so many heart-breaking cases over the last few weeks. Parents with critical illnesses who really need help to get their kids to school.
“Some parents who are considering giving up work or cutting hours in the middle of a cost of living crisis because they have been denied a ticket their child routinely receives year in year out.
“Neighbour pitted against neighbour and all because of a ham-fisted decision by a Minister who is incapable of predicting that when you make things free, demand surges and additional capacity must be provided.
“This failure to plan properly has left countless families in the lurch. Additional buses and places must be delivered now and the lame excuses need to stop.”
Ends.
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See below email update from Bus Eireann sent to Deputy Ged Nash:
Dear Cllr, Deputy, Senators & Ministers,
I refer to my email below and I wish to give you a further update on how school transport services in the East Region (Monaghan, Cavan, Louth, Dublin, Kildare, Meath & Wicklow) are progressing.
I confirm both school transport offices Dublin & Dundalk have completed all ticket issues.
- All families who are due to receive a ticket have done so, ticket status can be checked on their on-line accounts
- Families who have not received a ticket is primarily because a ticket request was not completed or there is no capacity to cater for them
- All families have been issued with annual tickets i.e. September 2022 – June 2023
Post Primary Applications:
- All eligible pupils who requested a ticket by the 29th July 2022 were prioritised first
- All concessionary pupils attending their 2nd nearest post primary school, residing over 4.8 kms to their nearest post primary school were prioritised next
- Concessionary pupils residing less than 4.8 kms to their nearest post primary school or attending their 3rd, 4th, 5th etc nearest school – some were successful in securing tickets and other pupils were not. Random selections were carried out to determine ticket allocation.
- Additional capacity is not being sought for concessionary pupils who did not secure tickets for the 22/23 school year
Primary Applications:
- All eligible pupils who requested a ticket by the 29th July 2022 were prioritised first
- Concessionary Pupils – where they could be accommodated they were and if the number of applications exceeded the number of seats a random selection was carried out
- Additional capacity is not being sought for concessionary pupils who did not secure tickets for the 22/23 school year
Empty/Vacant Seats on buses:
- Some recent representations have been sent to me, whereby your constituents have advised there is vacant or empty seats on the bus or the driver of the bus has advised there is empty seats. This is common occurrence on school transport services.
- We have only commenced the school year so some families prefer to drop or collect their children from school for a number of days. This may continue on odd days throughout the school year too, based on the family circumstances.
- Pupils issued with tickets will not travel every morning and every evening. After school activities will result in pupils not travelling on certain days.
- I confirm Bus Éireann has issued the route full to capacity with tickets, based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. It is not feasible to issue additional tickets resulting in a potential overload situation arising and students would not be carried on the service.
Cancelled or Returned Tickets:
- Based on some representations received your constituents have advised some families have received tickets and do not want them. I have actioned those representations immediately resulting in the next in line applicant to receive a ticket.
- If a family does not want to avail of school transport any more, they should log onto their on-line account and cancel their application for the 22/23 school year. The local school transport office will action the next in line applicant to receive a ticket.
Post Primary & Primary routes – capacity
- Where pupils are scheduled on school transport routes and there is plenty of capacity, as these families request a ticket their tickets will issue automatically. Again families will be able to view their on-line status by logging onto their on-line account
Late Applications since 25th August 2022 – reopening of the online portal
- A large number of applications has been received since the portal re-opened, a mixture of eligible and concessionary pupils. These will be processed over the coming weeks, however these pupils should not present for school transport until a ticket is issued. Many may not be issued with a ticket as many buses are now operating at capacity.
Refunds – where families paid prior to the Government announcement
- I confirm these refunds have been almost completed nationwide.
I will be responding to the individual queries you sent but it will take time to do that and I request your patience in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Siobhán
Regional School Transport Manager East
Bus Éireann School Transport Office,
Regional School Transport Office, Area Office, Broadstone, Dublin 7