Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
PARENTS FUMING OVER TOXIC BUS
School pupils are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning
Furious parents have hit out after children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning when a bus was engulfed by toxic fumes during a journey to a Coatbridge school.
Dozens of teenagers were travelling from Baillieston to St Ambrose High on the doubledecker earlier this month when “fumes and black soot” started to fill the McNairn’s Coaches vehicle.
Pupils said that, rather than pull over and allow them to get off, the driver kept the vehicle’s door open in an unsuccessful attempt to clear the smoke during the five-mile journey.
The youngsters were forced to use their jackets as masks in an attempt to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes.
Among the passengers was sixth-year student Raegan Currie, who suffers from asthma. Raegan was one of five youngsters sent home from school after being advised by a first aider that she may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning – a diagnosis subsequently confirmed by her GP.
Now on the road to recovery after experiencing “severe headaches and chest pains”, Raegan told the Advertiser: “It was a very scary situation and a shock to then be told by my doctor I had carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Other children were also told the same by their GPs. I’m not surprised because we could hardly see in front of us on the bus and it was really difficult to catch a breath.
“The windows were open but the smoke just kept blowing back in our faces.
“Everybody was coughing and spluttering and it was a huge relief when we finally got to the school.
“We would all have felt much safer if the driver had just stopped and let us off, rather than continuing the journey.”
When she got to school, Raegan immediately felt unwell.
She continued: “My head was agony and I had terrible stomach pains.
“My asthma is very well controlled and I rarely need to use my inhaler, but I needed to use it constantly that day.
“I felt so dizzy and unwell that I had to be sent home.”
Raegan’s concerned mum Lynn is demanding an investigation into the incident.
She said: “The doctor told Raegan she was very lucky because if she’d been on the bus for even just another couple of miles it would have been much worse.
“The children have to be provided with a much safer bus service than this.
“It’s unacceptable and many parents are worried about it.”
First-year pupil Kian McCormack was on the bus’ upper deck when he noticed something wasn’t right.
He said: “There was a very strong smell of fumes. It was like the smell of a petrol station but much stronger.
“The closer we got to the school the worse it became. At the end there was a black haze everywhere.”
Kian’s furious mum Lisa said: “This is about children’s health and safety.
“Kids being exposed to this while on a school bus is not on.
“It’s a huge concern and I’m now not confident my son will get to school safely.”
St Ambrose head teacher Ellen Douglas said: “Five pupils were sent home from school unwell on Friday, February 2, following their bus journey to school.”
When we contacted Coatbridge-based McNairn’s Coaches they declined to comment and instead referred us to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
An SPT spokesperson added: “We are aware of the incident and are investigating with the school and the operator McNairn’s Coaches Ltd.”
We are aware of the incident and are investigating with the school and the operator McNairns