Sir, - Cyril McIntyre of Bus Eireann (September 3rd) rushes to the defence of his company, and I fully accept all that he says. Of course Bus Eireann is committed to the safety of children travelling on school buses. My criticism was primarily aimed at the cowboy operators of "clapped-out" old coaches that are hired directly by the school principal for the trip to the nearest swimming pool, the football match in the next parish, the local disco, etc. These old "bangers" are to be found in every country town, belching out black smoke from rusty exhausts, struggling up the slightest gradient. Most of them bear registration plates of other decades, predominantly the late 1960s and 1970s.
At least two cases to my knowledge are at present pending before the courts in which deaths have taken place on bus services operating for school runs or for transporting young people. Regrettably, the sub judice law prevents me from commenting further on these. Mr McIntyre is on poor ground in taking exception to my questioning of the safety of school buses. He should give me a job as a mobile inspector. I'd sort out the safe from the unsafe very quickly indeed. - Yours, etc.,
Mrs Zara Brady,
Walls Farm,
Rinnaknock,
Co Galway.