Brady welcomes resolution to Valleymount to Blessington School Bus issue
Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has welcomed confirmation by Bus Éireann that school transport for 52 pupils on the Valleymount to Blessington school bus route has been resolved and that a school bus will be in place from next Tuesday.
Deputy Brady said “Having been in contact with both Bus Éireann and the Department of Education over the last few weeks about the disgraceful annual saga of pupils being informed that there would be no school bus in place in many parts of Wicklow for the commencement of the school term, I welcome confirmation that a solution has now been found for the 52 pupils on the Valleymount to Blessington route.
From Tuesday next a bus will be in place for the 52 pupils.on this school route. Whilst this is welcome, the failure to have the bus in place for the start of the school term has caused chaos for the parents and children over the last few weeks which left families with no choice but to drive their kids to school or try to make alternative arrangements.
I am working with Bus Éireann to try to find a solution on several other routes, including the B9200 route from Roundwood to Wicklow Town which has left 49 pupils without a school bus. Several options are now being worked on and it’s critically important that the Roundwood school bus is back operating as soon as possible.
This complete failure has now become an annual event for many parents and children. It is totally unacceptable, these children had been allocated a ticket for school transport, and which they had paid for, only then to receive an email just before the schools were due to start back saying the bus wouldn’t be running.
I will keep working with Bus Éireann on finding resolutions on all the Wicklow school bus routes that are facing problems, however the onus and ultimate responsibility is with the Government.
The Government has overseen a school transport system that is chaotic and not fit for purpose. Students and their families here in Wicklow have been left to pay the price for these shambles.
Each year, families face school transport chaos and confusion. Families are frustrated and feel badly let down by government failure to plan and to listen.
We need the Minister and Government to address the annual crisis with school transport once and for all.”