Private school bus operator in Tipperary calling for government assistance

Photo © Tipp FM

A number of private school bus operators in Tipperary are calling on the Government for help during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They say they have received no government funding since schools closed.

This contrasts with Bus Éireann which got 100% of their rate for the two weeks immediately after the school closures and 50% of their rate for the remainder of the school term.

Nenagh based Liam Toohey says private operators will face significant costs whenever schools reopen:

“We are looking for some sort of thing that, when schools resume, we’ll have some sort of financial package to get us back on the road again.

“I have two vehicles insured and it’s going to cost me €3,000 come August to put them back on the road.

“I have no income coming since March – none whatsoever coming in. I was always able to get some summer work while the schools were closed – I’d go off and do tours and stuff. I always had a Plan B to come into action.

“We’ve no cash flow whatsoever coming in.”

Liam also says that even when children go back to school it won’t be financially viable for operators like him:

“Across the country of Ireland we carry roughly around 55,000 passengers. Out of them there are 390 operators like ourselves doing that. Come September when schools and everything reopen again, 38% of them won’t be in a position to return.

“We’ve worked it out. On a 16-seater that I have, I’ll be only allowed to carry 3 passengers on it to do a school run.

“If it comes down to 1 metre [social distancing], six is the most I could carry.”