Limerick school principal calls for lifting of ban on 'older bus drivers'
A LIMERICK school principal has added his voice to calls for bus drivers over 70 to be used to ease the shortage.
As highlighted by Limerick Live in recent weeks, many school bus services in Limerick and elsewhere are not running due to a lack of staff.
It’s impacted students at Scoil Pol in Kilfinane, and its principal Mike O’Hara believes the ban that Bus Éireann has on using drivers over the retirement age of 70 should be scrapped.
“These same drivers that Bus Éireann deem too old to drive can drive privately, they can drive the same vehicles. At 70 years, you can’t drive school buses for Bus Éireann, or contractors, but they can drive privately,” he said.
“There are so many ways Bus Eireann can look at that rule they have which would allow extremely fit people, male and female, to continue driving and doing what they’ve been doing without issue for many a long year, and doing it when they want to do it. Don’t tell a 70-year-old, because they hit that age, they are no use.”
The principal said many people in their 40s and 50s who fancy a change of career might not be tempted to become a bus driver as they know the current retirement age is 70.
“They might look at becoming bus drivers if they felt there was a longer working life involved,” Mr O’Hara pointed out.