Midlands Bus Company Can't Provide Additional Routes Due To Lack Of Drivers

Monday, 28 August 2023 15:20

The Laois company wants the age limit for drivers to be increased.

A midland bus company says it can't provide additional school routes because of a lack of drivers.

Slieve Bloom Coaches in Mountmellick says it has the buses but can't take on the runs as they don't have enough staff.

It comes as Bus Eireann also say they can't provide students with transport due to a shortage of drivers.

Transport Manager of Slieve Bloom Coaches, Mark Farrell wants the age limit for school bus drivers to be increased from 70 to 75:

In a statement to Midlands 103, Bus Eireann says:

"With schools returning on a staged basis from this week, Bus Éireann has now issued school transport tickets to 130,000 students travelling on mainstream services. 99% of tickets have now issued to those who applied and paid on time, that is 23,000 more tickets issued to date this year, compared with the same time last year.

Driver shortages are being experienced in many sectors of the economy and throughout the country. Very regrettably, in a small number of specific locations contractors have advised us that it has not yet been possible to provide vehicles / drivers in time for the start of the school year. While the situation is dynamic with solutions being found, currently this represents approximately 2% vehicles operating mainstream school transport services. Bus Éireann has contacted affected families directly and will maintain communications with them.

In the event that this period is unavoidably extended beyond the end of next week, further contact will be made with the families affected by Friday 1 September. This will be to ensure that an interim arrangement to assist with the cost of alternative arrangements for the families affected is accessible to those who need it. The Department of Education is currently in the process of establishing an “Exceptional No Service Interim Grant” which, will be based on the number of days children attend school and will be made available to the families. The grant is only available to the small number of families who have already received a school transport ticket from Bus Éireann, and where difficulties have meant that transport will not be in place for the start of the school year on 28th August. Bus Éireann have contacted these families directly. Families do not need to make an application for the exceptional payment, those who have been issued a ticket, and do not have a service in place will be contacted after 1 September 2023.

Work continues to resolve this matter and we are committed to providing transport to these students as quickly as is possible."