B

By Sean Moriarty

School bus operators who service Killarney schools are still waiting on official guidance despite returning to work on Monday morning.

School bus runs are operated by Bus Eireann on behalf of the Department of Education but that national bus service sub-contracts regional runs to local operators.

One local bus firm, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Killarney Advertiser: “We are ready and willing to get back to work but we have no official guidance despite asking for it several times.”

The operator said his firm and drivers have taken all the particle steps necessary to ensure a safe return to work for staff and students.

These include a deep clean regime after each working shift and the provision of hand sanitisers on every bus.

However, in terms of paperwork and actual operating procedures, he said he has been left in the dark by the Department of Education.

He raised concerns about the management of contract tracing paperwork, the added responsibility on his drivers who have to ensure students comply with social distancing while on board.

One Department of Education guideline states that schools busses (for secondary students) can only operate at 50 per cent capacity. With just two days (from today, Friday) left before schools re-open he still does not know if needs to add extra busses to each of his contracted runs and if he needs to employ extra drivers.

“Taking on drivers is not so easy as they have to Garda vetted before working on school busses and that takes time,” he added.

Meanwhile, Primary School busses are allowed operate to full capacity adding to the confusion.

Some rural services could carry and mix of primary and secondary school children from rural areas to town schools.