School bus out of service at Limerick school due to driver shortage

A BUS serving pupils of a Limerick secondary school has not operated since the start of the academic year due to a lack of a driver.

That’s according to Ballylanders man Michael McCarthy who has two children going to Scoil Pol in Kilfinane.

He’s told the Limerick Live that since August 29 – when the school re-opened after summer – the transport the family relied on has not been present.

His eldest daughter Fifi, 17, who is in her Leaving Certificate year, has, for the last five years, boarded the bus which took in Glenroe, Ardpatrick, Kilfinane and Ballylanders on its route.

Mr McCarthy was told that the bus company which provided the service last year is not able to resource the route, causing problems not just for his daughter, but his son Reuben, 13, who has just began secondary school.

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“We were not told there would be no bus and people were left waiting at the pickups the first morning back only to be informed later by the school that presently there is no bus on the route,” he said. “Apparently, the guy who has the contract has no driver. That's all we have been told.”

For its part, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said it could not comment on individual cases.

But it admitted there are “constraints” in the supply of both vehicles and drivers.

Mr McCarthy l has made several calls to the department, but is getting no feedback at all, claiming emails he is sending were failing. It’s having a huge impact on the family, he said, pointing out he runs an accountancy firm in Ballylanders, while his wife works as a nurse .

“It's having a huge impact. We have to drive to school every morning. My wife is a nurse in Cork, I've my own business in Ballylanders. It's the evening-time when it's a huge inconvenience. We need someone to pick them up from school. There's no-one to bring them home. Grandparents are a huge help to us,” he said.

The businessman said the lack of a bus service is “unsettling”.

“I know a lot of people are having to try and get their kids to school. People are working a good distance away from Ballylanders and Glenroe, and they are having to make arrangements because there is no bus,” he added.