Irish bus driver pulls school run for first time in 23 years
The private operator of McCullough Coaches brings up to 150 children and teenagers to schools and a college every week
A bus owner has pulled his fleet off the school run for the first time in 23 years in the interests of child safety due to what he thought was treacherous road conditions in his area.
Rory McCullough decided to take his three school buses off the scheduled runs at 6.30am on Wednesday after inspecting conditions at his yard in Clogherhead, Co Louth.
The private operator of McCullough Coaches brings up to 150 children and teenagers to schools and a college around Drogheda every week but thought conditions this morning would be too dangerous to pick up children, most of whom live on ungritted roads in country areas and townlands around Clogherhead, Termonfeckin and Baltray.
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"I went out to the yard at 6.30 this morning and it was -6C," he said.
"I normally drive around the roads at that time to see what conditions are like but nearly as soon as I poured warm water on the windscreen, it was freezing back up again."
It was then that Rory decided to pull the run for the first time in his 23 years operating as a school bus provider.
"One of the drivers rang me and I said, 'nah, I don't think it is worth it' so I WhatsApped all the parents to say that we would not be running this morning but we would be operating an afternoon service home if parents wanted to drop the children off themselves. Not one parent has complained.
"I think putting safety first is important. I don't want to be the one to risk it and then be on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper after going into a spin and having a crash with children on board. Nothing is worth that.
"I may be the only private bus operator to pull the service this morning but I don't mind about anyone else. I'm on my own and I need to think about my own kids on my own buses, in my own area and what's safe.
"There are different conditions in different areas out there so each provider made their own call depending on location. I'm sure other roads were fine this morning.
"We do a CPC (certificate in professional competence) refresher course with the RSA annually to highlight safety and I don't think there is any point doing it if it's not put into practice.
"At least no parents with children on my buses will be visiting hospitals because something went wrong."
Rory says that he will be watching the weather intently later as tomorrow's forecast seems to be predicting even icier temperatures in his locality.
"Tomorrow seems to be the one everyone is watching and it may be even more treacherous with -6C temperatures at 9am in this area. So, I may well call it again depending as I see fit in the morning.
"Apart from red weather warnings and school closures, I think this is the first time I've pulled my buses off the roads for the school runs in 23 years. I've driven in all weathers and conditions through the years but I don't remember seeing the roads around here this bad with no school closures."
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