Local TD Brian Stanley raised problems with school transport in the constituency with Minister Norma Foley in the Dáil last week.
The Sinn Fein TD said that there is a serious issue with the school transport system ‘due to a lack of local knowledge and co-ordination by those people who are charged with running it’.
Deputy Stanley said: “This year we have witnessed chaos in several areas of Laois and Offaly regarding the operation of the scheme.”
Stanley explained he has seen this problem reoccur every year and urges for a solution to be found.
He said: “Families who had tickets last year are now without tickets.
“In some cases, buses are travelling with loads of vacant seats while parents drive behind them with their children to the nearest school.
“Bus Éireann said that a family was due to get concessionary tickets but the family was almost 4 km closer to the school they are sending their children to than the one determined by Bus Éireann.”
When Stanley questioned Bus Éireann about this, he says that they said the family ‘had to stick a pin on a map’.
Deputy Stanley called for a co-ordinator in each county who would have local knowledge on what roads are suitable for the buses and will resolve much of these issues.
The co-ordinator would work similar to local link bus service and would have direct contact with schools and bus operators.
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