A move by Government to make school transport free has backfired spectacularly as hundreds of children face being left at the bus stop due to a shortage of spaces.

In July, it was announced that school bus places were to be made free this year but it has been claimed this week that no additional capacity has been added to the system.

Removing the €350 charge led to unprecedented demand for the service and now, many of those who previously paid for tickets have been refused a place this year.

Fianna Fáil Senator Ollie Crowe said while the move to make bus tickets free was a progressive one, “the implementation of it has been terrible”.

“I have been contacted by a number of families who are now struggling. One example is a mother who contacted me, who is a carer to her disabled child.

“She relies on the school bus to provide transport and due to the increased number of applications and ‘open draw’, she has been told there is no spot for her child on this year’s bus,” said Senator Crowe.

“The Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Transport must urgently address this by either putting more buses on so there is sufficient capacity to meet demand, or prioritising students who used the service last year.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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