Campaign for better bus service

KILLORGLIN STUDENTS CALL FOR BUS EIREANN TO DROP THEM TO SCHOOL

PARENTS, principals and studnets at Killorlglin Community College and Intermediate School Killorglin (ISK) have joined forces to appeal to Bus Eireann to try and arrange to have the students dropped to both schools rather than being forced to walk almost a mile in the pouring rain.

The current arrangement is that students from both schools are dropped off at the Fairfield in the centre of Killorglin and they walk to their respective schools. Over the years requests have been made for Bus Eireann to make other arrangements but students are still forced to walk to school.

The location of both schools means it is not feasible for buses to drop at the gates.

Both Killorglin schools have now written to Bus Eireann seeking an alternative arrangement such a shuttle bus to drop students to school from the Fairfield. In letter to Bus Eireann they said that this is an area of concern to the school and for parents whose children are sitting in wet clothes.

Their campaign is being supported by Cllr John Francis Flynn and Deputy John Brassil. They have called on Bus Eireann to operate a service to the school from the Fairfield.

“Students have to walk to school in the pouring rain and then have to sit there all day in wet clothes which is not fair,” said Cllr Flynn.

“I am confident that Bus Eireann will examine the situation and that something can be done. A shuttle bus to both schools would be the solution,” he added.

Parents including Mary Kelly are also calling for changes to be made. She often drops her son and his friends to school on her way home from night shift so that they won’t get wet and have to spend the day in school in wet clothes. However, other parents, who are at work cannot do that.

“At the end of the day we are paying for a bus to drop our children to school and that is not happening. They have to walk and get wet and sit in those clothes all day,” she said.

Jennifer O’Sullivan whose child attends ISK in Killorglin said that the situation is “crazy”.

“I just can’t understand it. It is not fair on the students. They are comiong home soaked.”

“We just want Bus Eireann to try and sort out the situation.”

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin Parents and students from Intermediate School Killorglin and Killorglin Community College who are calling for Bus Eireann to find a way to drop them closer to their schools. Pictured with Deputy John Brassil, Cllr John Francis Flynn and Donal O’Reilly Deputy Principal Killorglin Community College.