Double decker school bus skids into verge on ungritted Co Armagh road as Infrastructure department urged to take rural communities seriously
Calls for more gritting on rural roads after a school double decker bus skids into a grass verge ahead of picking up children in Co Armagh.
The bus had been tasked to Derrytrasna where children were waiting to be picked up and taken into Lurgan. The bus turned at Esky Road and appears to have skidded and toppled into the grass verge and remained stuck.
It is understood there were no children on the bus at the time of the incident.
Former SDLP Cllr Declan McAlinden lashed out at the Department for Infrastructure accusing the department of not taking residents in rural areas seriously.
He said there are many elderly people in the area with care givers coming four times a day to tend to them and ‘yet these rural roads remain ungritted’.
He is concerned that Translink sent a double decker bus on this narrow road, with low and deep grass verges, to collect children and bring them to school.
He said: “When is the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) going to start taking the residents of our rural communities seriously.
"Double decker school bus skids into the verge on the Bannfoot Rd, Derrytrasna and could easily have toppled over. Also a car has gone through the hedge,” he said adding he was thankful no one was injured.
“This is part of the main Bannfoot Rd to Lurgan and is used daily by care workers, residents and others and should be on the gritting list Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council.”
The SDLP in Upper Bann said: “There have been countless calls for the Infrastructure Minister to grit all school bus routes. A common sense request for a department to carry out. But time and time again requests are not taken into consideration putting children's lives at risk.
"This latest incident happened on the Bannfoot Road, Derrytrasna. A double decker school bus skidding into a verge and could easily have toppled over as well as a car over a hedge. Thankfully no injuries but another example for the Department of Infrastructure to listen to the SDLP's call of gritting all school bus routes.”
Sinn Fèin Councillor Catherine Nelson has expressed serious concern following these incidents.
“My thoughts are with everyone involved in these incidents, and I sincerely hope that all passengers and drivers are safe and unharmed,” Cllr Nelson said. “Bannfoot Road is a local rural road and does not fall within DFI Roads winter gritting network, which understandably prioritises main routes and higher-traffic roads. However, incidents like those we have seen this morning clearly demonstrate the very real dangers posed by untreated local roads during periods of ice and snow.” Cllr Nelson confirmed that she will be raising the issue directly with DfI Roads to press for additional safety measures, including the provision of salt bins. “The safety of residents, road users and schoolchildren must come first. Rural communities cannot be left exposed when weather conditions deteriorate, and I will continue to advocate strongly for practical measures to improve safety on our local road network.”
A Translink spokesperson said: “An Ulsterbus briefly became stuck on a roadside verge during a manoeuvre this morning but was quickly resolved.
“There were no passengers on board, no injuries, and the bus has now returned to service”.
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “The Department delivers a winter service programme which endeavours to mitigate, as far as is reasonably possible, the effects of adverse winter weather.
"At times of ice and snow we deploy around 300 staff and a fleet of 130 gritters - working round the clock when needed - to salt around 7,000 kilometres of the main road network.
"Throughout the course of the weekend roads on the scheduled network have been salted a number of times. As part of the winter service, the Department salts the main through routes which carry more than 1,500 vehicles per day. In exceptional circumstances, roads with difficult topography carrying between 1,000 and 1,500 vehicles daily will also be salted. This means that 28% of the road network will be salted, directly benefiting around 80% of road users.
"We unfortunately do not have the resources to salt all rural roads, however the B2 road into and out of Derrytrasna is on the gritting schedule. Despite our best efforts it is important to remember that we cannot guarantee ice free roads even after salting. On public roads which do not meet the criteria for inclusion within the treated road network, salt bins or grit piles may be provided at difficult locations for use by the public on a self-help basis.
"During icy and wintry conditions, drivers are reminded to slow down and exercise caution when travelling, particularly when driving on untreated roads.”