Mum slams company over claims leaking bus left daughter ‘soaking’

A MUM has accused a bus company of leaving her daughter “soaking wet” u nder a lea k i ng roof on one of t hei r vehicles.

Kim Ingram, 27, has claimed bus company Scottish Blue left daughter Leia, 7, to ride to school on a wet seat with water dripping on her from the leak.

The problem got so bad, Kim claims, that Leia had to be wrapped in a towel to try to protect her clothes.

Kim says the problem has been ongoing since Leia was in primary one, and despite being told the leak had been repaired, it remains a problem.

Kim said: “Leia has global development delay and is profoundly deaf.

“She wears two cochlear implants to hear – without them she has no hearing at all and she only has limited words.

“The leak was so bad a couple of weeks ago she had to have a towel to go to school with.

“I have been in contact with George Scullion (Scottish Blue director) and told the bus was fixed, only to put Leia on the bus on the Monday with a puddle on her seat – now I refuse to put her on Scottish Blue transport.

“I have no faith that they have my daughter’s health and interest at heart, as they knew that this was an on-going matter.

“Leia has epilepsy and simple colds or stress can land her in hospital.

“I will never put Leia back in the care of that company again.

“I feel so sorry for her having to sit there.

“The bus has been leaking since primary one, the escort and the bus driver had made their boss aware, then when the schools went back for primary two the leak had got worse. The escort was getting soaked as well.”

Kim is now having to take Leia in the car to get her to Kingspark school each day.

She said: “I work part-time and am full-time at college, I have my son to take to nursery and now Leia to school, which can be very difficult as she has been on transport since primary one and doesn’t understand why she can’t go on the bus.

“It gives her that little bit of independence, so that leads to Leia being very upset and kicking out at me.

“I’m absolutely disgusted that someone that was meant to have my daughter’s best interest at heart has failed her – I feel sorry for the staff that work for the company as they are great.”

Another mother who has hit out at the bus service is Kathleen Reid, whose son Paul, 5, is best friends with Leia and attends the same school.

The neighbours would get the bus together each day and Kathleen – who has written to transport co-ordinator Angela Fairweather about the issues – said alarm bells first started ringing after the bus failed to turn up one day last week.

She said: “When I phoned up to find out where they were, they said they had parked down the road.

“There’s no way, even if I dangled my head out my window, that I would have been able to see the bus.

“They said they tooted twice and since t hen they have parked right outside my window.”

Paul, who is autistic, will not get on the school bus without Leia, meaning both now have to be driven to school.