Use bus drivers aged over 70 to resolve school transport issue – Lombard

School bus drivers aged 70 plus should be used to ease the concerns of school transport, Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard has said.

The Cork Senator said there are many qualified bus drivers, aged 70 and over, who would help to ease the pressure on the school transport system if allowed.

“Road safety is paramount when it comes to the transport of school children and teenagers. This above all else has to be our guiding principle and should always be adhered to. No matter what solutions are proposed, or people come to the table with, safety of school children and road users is of paramount importance.

“We know that thousands of parents and children are anxiously awaiting to hear if they have a place on their school bus after the Government made the service free to all for a year to help with the cost of living. Free transport is a great initiative, but we are now faced with capacity issues due to demand.

“Experienced and qualified bus drivers, aged 70 and over, are currently not being used. This needs to be examined and resolved.

“The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, his department, the Road Safety Authority and the bus operators – public and private – need to sit down and work this out satisfactorily. We are talking about school runs for mornings and afternoons, five days a week,” Senator Lombard said.

Last year, Education Minister Norma Foley told the Dáil that Bus Éireann part-time school bus drivers and drivers nominated by private operators may continue to perform this role, subject to completing an annual medical examination up to the retirement age of 70 years. This criteria is applied to all drivers who provide services as part of the school transport scheme that is operated by Bus Éireann, on behalf of the Department of Education.[1]

Senator Lombard said further work is needed to advance the current school transport impasse.

“Last February, Minister Hildegarde Naughton increased the age at which an applicant for a driving licence must supply a medical report from 70 to 75.[2] Drivers under 75 no longer have to supply a medical report confirming their fitness to drive, unless they have an identified or specified illness or are required to do so by law.

“We need to show the same foresight and smart thinking to resolve the current school transport impasse and I urge all interested parties and sectors to work on this as a matter of urgency. A practical and safe resolution will put families across the country at ease as schools return,” Senator Lombard said.