LOCAL motorists have been left frustrated after it was confirmed that the majority of rural roads will not be treated every frosty morning during winter, days after a bus carrying school children crashed.
The dangers of Fermanagh’s roads were highlighted after a school bus carrying eight post-primary children skidded off the icy Tattygar Road in Lisbellaw, on Wednesday morning.
Despite many calls from parents and residents for improvement to the roads, the Department for Infrastructure has said it can’t confirm that it will be treating all of the rural roads across the North.
“Many schools are located off the main salted network, on side roads and rural roads, and while we appreciate the frustration of school, parents and pupils, we unfortunately do not have the resources to salt all roads where schools are located,” the Department for Infrastructure said.
“That said, priority will be given to routes to school which have had to close due to inaccessibility once the primary network has been treated.
“Any extension of the salting schedule at the moment would put increasing pressure on the department’s already challenging budget and would be at the expense of other functions delivered by the department, many of which are also safety related.”
Following the accident on the Tattygar Road, a local resident, David McCusker, opened his home and provided shelter and support to the children involved in the bus accident.
He’s called on urgent action to be taken to improve the driving condition across the rural roads.
“At that time of the morning, school buses are among the first out on the roads to get children to school and this road is used by them every morning,” Mr McCusker said.
“You would think children travelling along these roads would be seen as a priority when we know snow and icy conditions are coming. The road was only salted after the accident.”
The Lisbellaw man has been praised by the parents of the children for his care and diligence.
“The bus drivers in our small community, know all the children and their families closely and the fact that the family opposite where it happened welcomed the children into his home to await collection is testament to them and our tight knit community,” a parent posted on Facebook.
Another said: “Well done to the bus driver and to the man who let the children into his home to keep the children safe and warm. That’s what good spirit is about.”
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