STUDENTS from three schools across Limerick City boarded a school bus of a very different kind in the name of promoting public transport among primary pupils.
The educational ‘Bus in the City’ trip was organised by An Taisce’s Green Schools Travel team and saw pupils take part in an interactive workshop on a Bus Éireann bus as it wove its way through Limerick City.
The workshop, run in partnership with Bus Éireann, aimed to promote public transport for schools located on existing public network routes, as well as supporting students from special schools who will soon be transitioning to independent transport in secondary school.
Over 100 students took part in this year’s trip, coming from St Patrick’s Girl’s National School, St Patrick’s Boys National School, and the Catherine McAuley School. For many of the pupils, it was their first time on a real city bus.
The interactive transport workshop saw students make a number of stops on their journey, including a local Garda station and the Bus Éireann bus depot. The Green Schools Travel team delivered a number of talks on the environmental benefits of public transport, while representatives from Bus Éireann demonstrated useful information like how to purchase a ticket, how to identify the correct bus bay, how to use real-time displays and timetables, and how to ask for help on public transport.
A member of the Community Policing team from Henry Street Garda Station also boarded the bus to talk about ‘stranger danger’ and answer questions about staying safe while travelling.
