Bus Éireann has advised that each school bus contractor, as an individually licensed Road Passenger Transport Operator in their own right, is responsible for the maintenance of their own vehicles and the maintenance systems that they put in place to ensure their vehicles comply in all respects with all applicable laws, including the Road Traffic Acts, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Acts, the Road Safety Authority (CVR) Act and any relevant provisions of European law.
There is a direct correlation between the strength of the maintenance system and the cost of vehicle maintenance. The additional safety measures demanded by the Company includes the procedures that it has put in place with random checks of maintenance standards and audits on Bus Éireann and Contractors' buses equally. This investment in best practice vehicle maintenance improves the standards of all vehicles that are used to provide services under the School Transport Scheme nationally, and not only those operated directly by Bus Éireann.
Bus Éireann also conducts thorough six-weekly preventative maintenance checks incorporating stringent safety inspections on all of its school transport vehicles. Similarly, Contractors are contractually obligated by Bus Éireann to carry out a safety inspection of each school bus at a maximum of six-weekly intervals in line with guidelines issued by the Road Safety Authority.
Bus Éireann obliges all Contractors to sign a Contract Agreement with onerous conditions as additional safety measures. Contractors are contractually obligated, for example, to use only approved vehicles, to operate services in accordance with Bus Éireann's instructions, to pick up at approved pick up points, and to provide documentary evidence that safety critical documents such as vehicle roadworthiness certificates, motor insurance with appropriate levels of cover, and PSV Licences are kept current and up to date. Contractors must advise Bus Éireann immediately of any contemplated change of vehicle, and their drivers must be vetted, be medically fit, be licensed to drive the size of vehicle, be able to communicate in English without the aid of a translator, and must comply with Driver CPC regulations.
The contract obliges each contractor to keep themselves informed and comply with all recommendations issued by the manufacturer of each school bus as well as all guidelines and recommendations relating to the services including those issued by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Road Safety Authority.
I can assure the Deputy that the safety of children travelling on the school transport service continues to be of paramount importance to my Department and Bus Éireann and the measures put in place by Bus Éireann serve to provide assurance that all services provided under the School Transport Scheme are operated to a high standard of safety.
