The owner of a school bus found with 22 supposed defects had his case struck out in the District Court this week (September 14 ) after the judge accepted the vehicle had been good enough for both the Department of the Environment and Bus Eireann.
Inspector Aidan Minnock told how the bus belonging to Shannonside Bus Hire Ltd was stopped by a Road Safety Authority checkpoint whilst on a school run on Retreat Road on September 14, 2010. The defects, including “bald tyres, poor brakes, and faulty bushes”, were discovered in a subsequent test.
“Are these sort of vehicles not subject to annual checks?” asked Judge Seamus Hughes.
“Bi-annual,” said the inspector, who accepted the Certificate of Roadworthiness - the NCT for all commercial vehicles, issued by the Department of the Environment - for this vehicle was still valid until November 11, 2010.
Emily McMahon, the solicitor for company director, Michael Boylan, of Lusmagh, Banagher, Co Offaly, pointed out that for a private contractor to get a school run contract from Bus Éireann it had to pass an inspection by their mechanics, and that Mr Boylan’s vehicle did just this on January 22, 2010.
Ms McMahon told the court her client employed six people on a part-time basis, had no previous incidents of this nature, and had no other form of employment.
Mr Boylan told the judge he had three buses in operation, and only had this particular bus in his ownership for just three weeks when it was stopped at the RSA checkpoint.
“I’d started getting the documents in order, but it can take up to three months,” he told the court.
“I understand where you’re coming from, and can see how this could arise without any carelessness on your behalf. I can see you are a reputable man,” said the judge.
He ordered Mr Boylan pay €350 to the court’s poor box and struck out the charge.
