Coronavirus: School and college transport

Education settings

• ALN schools
• Colleges
• Primary schools
• Secondary schools

Scenario 1

Taxi/minibus driver contracts covid 19 and is unable to carry out the morning run (with no replacement driver available).

Action

Operator to inform parents (this may be in the evening), passenger assistant and school transport as soon as possible. No transport until further notice.

Scenario 2

Taxi/minibus driver contracts covid 19 and is unable to carry out the afternoon run (with no replacement driver available)

Action

Operator to inform school transport, passenger assistant as soon as possible. School transport to provide cover for the afternoon journey or vehicle to double back to collect learners. If no cover available, parents/carers to be contacted to collect from education setting. No transport until further notice, parents to be informed.

Education settings

• Colleges
• Secondary Schools (including St Brigid’s)

Scenario 1

Bus driver contracts covid 19 and is unable to carry out the morning run (with no replacement driver available)

Action

Operator to inform school transport as soon as possible. As the school transport protocol states, parents/carers should plan for this and put in contingencies should the bus fail to pick up their child/children. School transport to send a replacement vehicle where possible. This will cause learners to arrive late to school. School transport will endeavour to provide transport for consecutive days but please be aware that alterations may need to be made to morning and afternoon times where buses are double running.

Scenario 2

Bus driver contracts covid 19 and is unable to carry out the afternoon run (with no replacement driver available)

Action

Operator to inform school transport as soon as possible. School transport may need to ask another vehicle to double back to school to take learners home. This will result in learners being late home. School transport will endeavour to provide transport for consecutive days but please be aware that alterations may need to be made to morning and afternoon times where buses are double running.

Feeder taxis collects your child from home to meet a bus at a pick up point and in the afternoon collects from the pick-up point to bring home.

Education settings

• Colleges
• Secondary Schools (including St Brigid’s)

Scenario

Usual bus does not arrive at school in the afternoon and so replacement bus arrives a lot later. Taxi/minibus would not be at pick point to meet learners. This causes a safety risk and we ask that these learners remain at school and that they do not travel on this replacement bus.

Action

School transport will attempt to provide a replacement vehicle directly home or alternatively, parents/carers may be asked to collect their child/children from school.

• Colleges
• Secondary Schools (including St Brigid’s)

Scenario

Drivers of local service bus serving schools contracts covid 19 – As service buses are running to a set timetable, if a driver is unable to work there may be a significant delay waiting for the next available bus.

Action

Our understanding is that Arriva buses should be able to provide their own cover in this circumstance. For smaller operators school transport will double run other school vehicles to cover these routes where possible. This will again cause learners to be late morning and afternoon.