Coronavirus: Extra 500 bus services in NI to ease school pressures

Five hundred extra bus services will operate to help manage the number of pupils travelling at peak times when schools return.

Translink said this will limit the number of people on standard public transport and will help manage the spread of Covid-19.

About 80,000 pupils are due to return to schools on 1 September.

The company said the additional bus journeys would not affect public transport services already in place.

"It will mean that rather than asking young people and the general public to share a bus and maybe it get a bit too busy, we split that out," chief executive Chris Conway explained.

"The general bus will still be there and then there will be an additional bus for dedicated transport.

"We will have to have additional people on the buses and at stops to try and encourage people to use the different buses, but this is a way to help make public transport safe for everyone."

Trade unions and bus drivers have raised health and safety concerns about school transport plans.

Alan Law, from the trade union Nipsa, said drivers were concerned about what to do if a child arrives for a bus with Covid-like symptoms.

"In those circumstances it's very likely they are going to have to bring that child on the bus and take them to school for the issue to be resolved there," he said.

Concerns have also been raised around social distancing on board school buses.

"You are going to have children on those services who are in very different class groups and in many cases going to several different schools," Mr Law said.

"And that entirely compromises the whole principle behind the bubble.

"We think it makes a mockery of the mitigation measures that the department seems to be relying on.

"We've made every effort to ensure the bus services will be safe for the staff by having the drivers behind a screen."

The Education Authority (EA) confirmed a number of services were disrupted on Monday morning after concerns were raised by bus drivers.

The EA said bus journeys were operational again by the afternoon and were not aware of any further issues on Tuesday.

"We are making a significant effort to protect pupils and staff on our home-to-school transport service as schools reopen.

"In line with Department of Education and Public Health Agency (PHA) advice we are introducing a range of measures including hand sanitiser dispensers and the provision of PPE (personal protective equipment) to all drivers and escorts.

"We are also taking additional measures such as the installation of driver screens across our fleet and will implement social distancing where this is possible.

"Where individual staff continue to express concerns about returning to their duties, we will work with them and the relevant unions, on a case-by-case basis.

"Unfortunately from time to time there may be insufficient notice to arrange alternative cover, however, we will make every effort to minimise disruption."

A Translink spokesperson said the company was using more buses than in any previous year for school services.

"We are also adding additional train carriages, for extra capacity at peak times," the company said.

The Department of Education has pledged £3.1m to help with the costs associated with home to school transport.

Face coverings on dedicated school buses are not compulsory but are strongly recommended by both the department and Translink.

On public transport, however, face coverings are mandatory for everyone aged 13 and over, unless they have an underlying health condition which prevents them from doing so.

Translink said as well as additional services, there will be "additional cleaning, PPE and safety measures for staff and young people".

Pupils are being asked to sit with other family members or people in their class where possible.

Pupils can use their school transport passes on public transport services until dedicated school bus services resume on 1 September.