Seanad debates
Wednesday, 27 November 2002
Adjournment Matters. - School Transport.
Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)
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While this may seem a parochial issue, it is relevant to other parts of the country. A few weeks ago students in Ramelton, County Donegal, protested at bus overcrowding. They considered that a basic human right had been removed from them. Their protest involved them walking in the rain from Ramelton to and from two schools in Milford. In this instance students decided that their educational entitlements were not respected and they decided to protest. There are few avenues open to them to have their concerns addressed in County Donegal and as they considered they were getting nowhere, they decided to protest.
While this may be a parochial issue, it impacts on the rest of the country. It can often arise that an extra 20 or 30 students may need to use the school bus service. This has insurance and safety implications. While I am disappointed the Minister for Transport is not present, I have no doubt the Minister of State will be a competent replacement.
Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am here in the absence of the Minister for Education and Science. The Senator will be aware that the mother of the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, has died. Her funeral is today.
I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the position regarding school transport at Milford post-primary schools. The school transport scheme was established to cater for children in rural areas who, if living a long distance from school, might otherwise have difficulty in maintaining regular school attendance. Approximately 131,000 primary and post-primary students use the scheme on a regular basis.
Safety on school transport is of paramount importance to the Department of Education and Science and Bus Éireann, which operates the scheme on behalf of the Department, sometimes with its own buses and at others through a management agency. Bus Éireann is responsible for ensuring the scheme is operated in the most efficient and cost effective manner having regard to legislation governing the safety and condition of vehicles. It has extensive knowledge and experience of all relevant legislation governing public transport vehicles, such as safety regulations, road worthiness regulations and regulations relating specifically to the school transport scheme. There is one regime and one set of regulations under which the scheme is operated.
This protest relates to the loading on the school bus service. It has been alleged that the bus is overcrowded. However, this is not the case. Since one agency, Bus Éireann, manages the scheme, the same standards apply throughout the country. This means that standards deemed suitable in one area ought to apply in another.
The permitted loading on all school buses is determined by the relevant sections of the road traffic regulations, construction equipment and use of vehicles, as laid down by the Department. Under public service vehicle regulations, the licensed carrying capacity of all vehicles engaged in school transport is based on a ratio of three pupils for every two adult seats. Great care is taken to ensure loading does not exceed the maximum legal carrying capacity.
It should also be noted that, given the loading sequence on any route, in most cases vehicles would have their full complement of passengers only for perhaps the last 15 minutes of their morning journey and the first 15 minutes of the homeward journey, after which the loading should thin out and would not be a problem. Absenteeism and non-utilisation of tickets contribute to a further reduction in the numbers carried.
There is no recorded case of an accident being attributed to the three for two seating arrangement or of that arrangement exacerbating the effects of an accident. Moreover, the use of this seating arrangement is quite common on school transport in other countries. The safety aspects of school transport, including the seating arrangement, is being examined by the school transport section of the Department of Education and Science, together with Bus Éireann and the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
In line with the commitment in The Road to Safety – The Government Strategy for Road Safety, 1998-2002, a consultation paper which set out a wide range of options for enhancing school bus safety was published by the Department of the Environment and Local Government earlier this year. Following an extended consultation period, a large number of responses were received. These are now being reviewed with a view to identifying a range of specific proposals for implementation. I apologise again for the Minister's absence.
Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. We are aware that there is a three person per two seat ratio but perhaps we can review the whole issue because we are talking about young adults of 17, 18 and 19 years of age. On this particular bus there is an average of ten to 15 students standing because two people on the seat will not move to make room for a third person. Perhaps this can be the start of the review process. I thank the Minister of State again for his reply.
Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I will convey that point but the mix between the different age groups in different schools ought to be the same. My own son was about 19 when he did the leaving certificate so I accept that these children are of that age but there ought to be an equal number of 13 year olds or whatever. It is possible, however, that the mix in that area, depending on who is travelling on the bus for the longer journey, might be slightly different but I will convey this case to the Minister.