School bus stop chaos predicted in Mayo as pupils return to classes

A TD has warned that there will wholescale chaos at school bus stops across the country, including Mayo, on Monday morning.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín stated that Aontú party offices are inundated with queries from parents who are without any transport for their children.

He stated: “Its deeply frustrating that we are now entering the seventh year of September school bus chaos.

"Each year without fail there is another cohort of parents and children who are struggling to get the simplest of services, a bus lift to and back from school. I have never seen it as bad.

"Many children are still without bus tickets at this late stage. Many others have tickets on buses that are stopping at bus stops that are up to 10km away from their homes”.

“Bus Éireann is operating guidelines that were designed in the 1960s.

"The government are still refusing to design bus routes for the massive amount of concessionary ticket students.

"This is discriminatory. All students should be treated equally.

“The outcome of this will be tens of thousands of parents having to drive their children to and from school.

"Where is the logic of this. The government is supposed to be getting cars off the road.

"They hiked excise up last June. They will increase excise next week. They will put carbon taxes up in October. The government is hammering parents with extra taxes on fuel but won't provide buses to students crying out for them.

“All this has happened when there is a €225 million underspend by the Minster for Transport.

"It's infuriating to learn that there is €225 million in funding just sitting there in the department which has not been spent while students and parents throughout several rural areas are in desperate need of transport to schools which reopen next week.

“I urge the minister to take this crisis seriously."