North Lanarkshire Council's binmen will become bus drivers as the crisis involving pupil’s transport to school deepens.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), who’s responsible for organising both North and South Lanarkshire council’s school transport contracts, told both councils on Tuesday that they have not been able to “organise buses” on a number of routes.
That meant pupils across North Lanarkshire did not have their usual pick-up on buses for the new school term and continued on for the rest of the week.
As a result, the council has opted to move drivers from its bin lorries to its school buses in a bid to ease the crisis.
The council’s statement said: “Residents may be aware that SPT failed to put in place a number of school bus contracts in time for the start of term.
“While work has been carried out to reduce the number of school bus routes affected, many remain unserviced. The council has a legal duty to transport children who are eligible to school.
“To assist SPT, who have sourced some additional buses but have been unable to engage drivers, some of our appropriately trained and qualified drivers will be required to drive buses for school transport.
“While we will seek to engage replacement drivers as quickly as possible, this means that we have taken the difficult decision to suspend collection of blue paper and card bins for the next three weeks, until Monday September 12.
“During this time, residents are asked not to present their blue bins for collection. Please either dispose of paper and card in your general waste bin or, if possible, take it to a recycling centre.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this temporary suspension of service will cause.”
A spokeswoman for SPT said: “While we have ensured contracts for the majority of councils on time and ahead of the new school year beginning, a number of bus operators have, at short notice, now declined a number of approved and awarded contracts in North Lanarkshire.
“We apologise to all parents, pupils and schools affected. Due to the short notice given by operators, we have not been able to put in place alternative arrangements.
“Our schools’ team is working hard to find transport on a temporary emergency basis for pupils affected.”
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