Mull parents plead for safety on school buses

24 children aged four to 11 take the Tobermory - Salen bus run every school-day, a journey which takes over 30 minutes.

Parents are worried that the driver, while focussed on the road, is not able to properly or safely watch the children, and are therefore looking to the council to provide a chaperone. 

There are also multiple disabled children on the route unable to get the bus at all without a chaperone, forcing them to be driven to school.

One of the parents of an affected child, started a petition to get the council’s attention on the issue. It has already gained 55 signatures, more than one for each child onboard. 

Those who have signed the petition have cited worries about how children’s behaviour, can spiral when left alone, others think that chaperones should become commonplace on all school buses.  

The concerned mum said: "The driver already has a job, he can’t watch the children as well. He has to look over his shoulder to check on the children, he can’t do that and keep his eyes on the road. 

"A chaperone is needed to keep an eye on all the kids, because what if the driver becomes ill and has to pull over? The children are then completely alone. 

"When children are left unsupervised, anything can happen."

Ideally, the mum thinks the position should be a paid one, to properly compensate the chaperones for their time.

The parents have questioned the legality of leaving children as young as four or five unsupervised on a bus for an extended period of time. They point out how it is illegal to do so at home, so question why a bus is any different. 

There is no legal age for when a child can be left alone in UK law, but it is an offence to leave them alone if doing so puts them at risk.