PILOT plans to have secondary school students in Shannon use the public transport network are causing huge concern among parents and educators.
Shannon has been selected as a trial area for the transport scheme, meaning that instead of having a designated place on a school bus, students will take the ordinary commuter bus.
Instead of a school bus pass, students will use a Leap Card on the 343 route, which serves Shannon.
The move is part of a review of the school transport system, which has remained unchanged for the past 50 years, and is also being trialed in Athlone.
At meetings organised in Shannon and Cratloe, attended by almost 100 people, local representatives heard that parents only found out last week about the change of school transport plans.
Principal of Shannon’s St Caimen’s Community School, Maria Sheehan, admitted she first heard of the plan when parents told her about it.
Parents raised the issue of children travelling on buses with strangers, the strain on capacity with hundreds of children being picked up at the same time, and potential problems for Shannon residents as 400 students are dropped off and picked up simultaneously.
Local elected representatives were told at a meeting with Bus Éireann and the Department of Education that the pilot is part of a plan to have extended service on the route, with buses running 24/7 to Shannon Airport to Limerick.
The representatives said that arrangements are being made for staggered pick-up points for students and a stop placed closer to St Caimen’s.
