An investigation has been launched after a school bus which had been ferrying school pupils burst into flames.
The double decker was taking pupils from McLaren High, in Callander, to Aberfoyle when it caught fire on a stretch of the A81 near Port of Menteith.
Emergency services - including fire crews - rushed to the scene, while students were quickly evacuated from the bus as smoke began to billow from the rear.
There have been no injuries reported as a result of the fire, with investigations underway between Stirling Council and the bus operator Carr’s Loch Lomond to determine the cause of the blaze.
McLaren High confirmed on Thursday morning that a replacement bus would be serving the Gartmore/Aberfoyle route.
Eyewitness Lina Swinton told the Observer: “The only thing we noticed was the noise the bus was making as it drove by; we thought it was the exhaust falling off but there was also the smell of burning rubber.
“I think the driver was looking for a safest place to stop for the kids to get off the bus and that was by the school just along the road.”
The matter was raised briefly at Stirling Council’s meeting yesterday.
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SNP councillor for Trossachs and Teith, Gene Maxwell, told the Observer that the bus was completely burnt out during the incident - which also damaged two other nearby cars.
Mr Maxwell also said the bus was a replacement service for one that had a broken down the previous day, prompting concerns from parents.
Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed - who used to cover the area as a councillor - expressed relief that there were no injuries as a result of the fire and praised the quick response of emergency services.
She said: “This was a very frightening experience for pupils, parents, bus driver, McLaren High and the Port of Menteith community. It is a miracle that there were no injuries given the scale of the fire.
“I want to thank the emergency services for acting quickly to extinguish the blaze and staff at Port of Menteith Primary School for supporting pupils and assisting them to get home safely.
“Pupils and parents will rightly be anxious about ensuring that school buses are safe so I am pleased that Stirling Council are keen to work with the coach provider to establish what happened.
“I look forward to hearing the outcome of the council’s investigations and any necessary steps that need to be taken to ensure all school transport is safe across Stirling.”
Meanwhile, a Stirling Council spokesman said: “We can confirm an investigation is underway and we’ll work with the coach provider to establish the cause of the fire.”
“This was obviously a scary incident for everyone involved but thankfully no one was hurt and all pupils got home safely.
“Our thanks go to the emergency services for their quick response, as well as our staff at Port of Menteith Primary School, who supported pupils and local residents while the incident was ongoing nearby.”
