Four weeks after a double decker school bus toppled over in atrocious weather on Garvock Hill between Mearns Academy at Laurencekirk and St Cyrus, parents remain concerned about the service.
Aberdeenshire Council officials meet operator Stagecoach Bluebird today to discuss the matter.
Although Stagecoach have replaced the double decker with a single decker, some parents remain so worried that 22 pupils, almost half of those who are normally on the bus, were taken to school by car on Tuesday.
Amid calls for the route con-tract to be re-tendered, parents are even considering possibly hiring their own school bus.
They are circulating a petition calling for the removal of Stagecoach and reinstatement of the service previously provided by bus operator M W Nicoll of Laurencekirk. One parent has called for the First Minister Alex Salmond to intervene.
Parent Darren Smith said continuing fears about the service were fuelled on Monday by reports from children about the speed and manner in which the bus had been driven.
“My daughter told me she had asked the driver to slow down. I have had calls from a number of parents, one of whom was in tears, to say that their children did not want to go back on the bus so we decided to organise cars to take them to school today.
“I know one of the parents has contacted Alex Salmond about the matter. The reality is that the kids had a bad experience just four weeks ago when six pupils were taken to hospital and 13 others treated for injuries. They have now had another shake-up on their first day back to school after the holidays.
“We as parents are not going to put up with this.’Precious cargo'”The bus operator needs to recognise that they are transporting the most precious cargo they will ever carry.”
Parents are awaiting answers to questions about risk assessment and implementation of safety procedures.
Provost Bill Howatson, who was among the first on the scene of the accident on October 1, said he had been contacted by parents with serious concerns about the manner and speed the school bus was being driven.
He said on Tuesday, “I spoke to senior officers of Aberdeenshire Council this morning and the matter will be raised at a meeting with the managing director of Stagecoach tomorrow when these concerns will be addressed. Today, there has already been discussion between the council and Stagecoach.
“Public confidence with the bus operator has been severely dented by the traumatic incident on October 1 and it appears many of the pupils are still affected. I understand that 22 children were transported to school by car today and 29 got on the bus, with several not attending.
“It is my understanding that there has been an agreement that there will be two dedicated drivers and a back-up so that they can build up a familiarity with the route. I would certainly want to know if this is honoured,” Mr Howatson added.
“I expect a detailed response tomorrow from officers to the concerns raised.”
A Stagecoach spokesman said, “Safety is our absolute priority and we share 100% any parent’s desire to ensure complete care is taken over the transport of their children.
“Buses are one of the safest ways to travel and all of our drivers are expected to operate within the law and appropriate to the conditions.
“Our team of professional drivers is supported by a detailed training programme and vehicle maintenance regime that is one of the strictest and most comprehensive of any bus operator in the UK. We have not received any complaint making such allegations and we are unable to substantiate them at this stage,” he said.
“Nevertheless, we are a responsible bus operator and we take any suggestions of this nature extremely seriously.
“We will be investigating the allegations urgently and, based on our findings, take any appropriate action.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshire Council said, “We take the safety of our school pupils extremely seriously and are aware that concerns have been made by parents and pupils regarding school transport that runs from St Cyrus to Mearns Academy. We are currently working together with Stagecoach to resolve any issues.”