Mayo student facing 10km daily walk due to school bus pick-up quandary
A 12-year-old Mayo student is facing a walk of 10 kilometres every day to and from her school transport pick-up point.
The girl, who lives in a rural community, has been issued with a school transport ticket as she is due to commence her secondary school education.
The nearest pick-up point which has been designated is way near Pontoon Bridge Hotel.
The nearest public transport bus stop from their home is the former Healy's Hotel.
The child and her mother will have to walk up to 5 hours a day to and from their home to the pick-up point.
A bus/vehicle would take an additional five minutes to get to the house.
Speaking to Community Radio Castlebar (CFCfm), the student's mother, Susan, said it is unreasonable to expect a 12-year-old to have to walk on an unlit rural road where speeding is common and where there are no footpaths and many blind corners.
The mother is a lone parent and does not have access to a car so they would need to walk between 110 to 130 minutes to get the bus and back in the evenings.
Susan Killeen said: "I urge Bus Eireann to reconsider the pick-- up point. The primary school bus route collected the child from the house up to June."
Year in and year out, there are issues with the school transport scheme.
A review of the school transport scheme, which began in February 2021, has yet to be finalised with recommendations to better the service.
Ms. Killeen added: “I have appealed and have tried to raise this with the school transport service but they do not answer queries and they offered a webform, where a reply wouldn’t issue until next Friday.
"An appeal has been lodged. They also advised me to negotiate with the driver on Monday when the school transport system is due to start.
“I feel that is an unreasonable request and parents need the safety of knowing and scheduling in advance what arrangements are for their children.
"I ask that to Bus Eireann's school transport to address this issue as a matter or urgency."