Fears are growing that many of the private bus companies involved in school transport will go out of business before children return to their classrooms.
Lee-Anne Kierans of Kierans Bus Hire in Drogheda said they closed on March 12 and have not received a cent since. “The difference between us and other industries is we have the Road Safety Authority issue. We are a special cargo... children and our buses need to be in pristine condition roadworthy condition in September and to get them to that it costs about €3,500 per bus every August yet we have no income to do so.”
She told LMFM’s Michael Reade Show that up to half of their members might not be able to get back on the road when the schools reopen.