[article] School Bus with kitchen chairs!

mike65

This takes the fvcking biscuit

from sunday times.

A SCHOOL bus operator in Mayo who used kitchen chairs as passenger seating has successfully appealed a district court decision to disqualify him from driving for three years.

On April 7, the day after a schoolboy died in a Co Offaly bus crash, a judge in Ballina circuit court overturned the disqualification and instead increased the operator’s fine from €650 to €800.

The court heard that Martin McDonnell from Ballycastle was caught twice by gardai with ordinary household chairs in the rear of his school bus, once with a student sitting on one of them....

...Jim O’Toole, a garda sergeant, told Ballina circuit court that he stopped McDonnell’s school bus on September 20 and discovered the two household chairs at the back. Even though he ordered them to be removed, when he stopped the vehicle again later, the chairs were still there and a student was sitting on one of them.

The court heard that while McDonnell was carrying only nine pupils in the 12-seater bus, he had not deterred them from sitting on the chairs during their 15-mile journey from Lacken Cross to their secondary school in Ballina. McDonnell told the court the chairs were for a bingo run.

Last night McDonnell said: “I didn’t think it was against the law. It was a mistake and I’ve learnt my lesson now. I only used the chairs a few times.” McDonnell insisted that he had used the extra seating for transporting people to bingo.

A legal source familiar with the case said: “If this wasn’t so serious it would be utterly farcical. The logic was that, while it was wrong to risk the lives of schoolchildren, it was all right to risk the lives of elderly bingo-goers.” He said Judge Donagh McDonagh was fuming but overturned the disqualification because otherwise McDonnell would have lost his means of livelihood. He also said that the provisions of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 1963 also restricted the judge.

“Fortunately there was no injury arising out of this particular case,” said Michael Murray, a garda inspector responsible for traffic in Mayo.whose brief covers road traffic in the county. “However, in light of other more serious cases regarding below-standard school buses our two traffic corps will increase their vigilance in this area.”

Mike.

Duiske

Last night McDonnell said: “I didn’t think it was against the law. It was a mistake and I’ve learnt my lesson now. I only used the chairs a few times.” .

The Dept of Education need to seriously look at the way they are handing out transport contracts. Seems like any moron with a Transit van and a couple of deck chairs can get a license these days.

mike65

The dept is so desperate to expedite the job of getting children to school and so getting parents off thier backs anyone will do. I bet they don't bother with security checks either bearing in mind the job in hand.

Mike.

DubTony

Unbe - fúcking - lievable. Whatever about getting his driving licence back (to drive a car) he should never be allowed a public service or private hire licence again. In fact this hillbilly's kids and grandkids shouldn't get one either. Amazing, though, that any judge would overturn the ban after what had happened the previous day. And the fact that he had no problem bringing old dears to bingo on bloody kitchen chairs should have proven to the judge that this man did definitely not have the safety of his customers in mind ... EVER !!!!!

SeanW

That is un-****ing-believable.