Co Down dad says school bus crash was ‘accident waiting to happen’ due to state of roads
A dad from Co Down said a school bus crash this week was an “accident waiting to happen” due to the poor quality of the roads in the area.
On Monday, October 7, a Translink Ulsterbus service carrying pupils from Strangford College to Bangor overturned on the Ballyblack Road East near Newtownards[1]. Emergency services attended the scene with the ambulance service treating 43 pupils at the scene plus the driver, with four pupils taken to hospital for further treatment.
Karl’s son is a pupil at the school, and gets the school bus home, albeit in the opposite direction towards Portaferry[2]. Speaking to Belfast Live[3] following the incident, Karl said roads in the area are in serious need of repair and upgrading, with potholes, soft verges, and narrow roads a common occurrence.
He said: “On the Ards Peninsula[6] you have roads that haven’t been updated for decades. You have a large volume of traffic due to the increase in population down the peninsula, then you also have roads which just aren’t capable of taking double decker buses, tractors, and lorries.
“There are some roads that are so narrow a lot of the time, if I’m travelling behind a bus and a lorry comes the other way, you have your heart in your mouth as it’s so close to you.
“The problem is you have old country roads that have never been widened and are unaltered, and you’ve got much bigger sized vehicles travelling down them. Buses are constantly inches from the edges of the road.
“The standard of the surface of the roads are in such bad state, with the amount of potholes and just poor surfaces. The two shocks on my car have been replaced recently. It’s just such a disgrace, you wonder what you’re paying taxes for.
“I think the peninsula road network has just been left behind. It seems to be the forgotten part of Co Down.”
Karl said the school bus crash which took place on Monday was an “accident waiting to happen.” He is calling on the Department for Infrastructure[7] to set out a plan to update the roads network in the Ards Peninsula before another incident occurs.
“To be honest, it doesn’t surprise me something like this has happened, and unfortunately, it will probably end up happening again or something worse could happen,” he said.
“The road service just need to be upfront and put money aside for a long-term project to fix the roads. They can’t just gaslight people and not say anything about the condition of the roads.
“Everyone in the area talks about the state of the roads and how anything that’s been done has just been a stop-gap. It’s going to need a major project to fix it, and everything they’re doing now is just a plaster over a wound.”
The Department for Infrastructure updated members of the Ards and North Down Borough Council[8] on past and future road improvement schemes in the area.
During a meeting on Tuesday, October 8, Divisional Roads Manager Mr Mark McPeak addressed the council. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the 2024/25 budget but affirmed the Department’s commitment to advancing local transport, safety schemes, and maintenance programs aimed at improving road safety.
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He added: “Currently, a full street lighting repair service will remain in effect during 2024/25. We have also completed a series of street lighting upgrade schemes including in Newtownards Town Centre and Henderson Avenue in Conlig. Over the next year, in the Ards and North Down area, we plan to take forward works to provide central pedestrian islands on the Clandeboye Road in Bangor and the provision of new Puffin facilities at Bloomfield Road in Bangor.[11][12]
“Recently, we completed a carriageway resurfacing scheme on the Comber Road/South Street, Newtownards and carriageway resurfacing and footway reconstruction on the Belfast Road, Comber. Surface dressing schemes completed during this summer across the borough, include the Cardy Road in Ballywalter, Windmill Road in Donaghadee, Scrabo Road in Newtownards and Lisbarnett Road in Killinchy. We are also planning to take forward nearly 1 kilometre of resurfacing on the A20 Portaferry Road from Newtownards.”
When contacted by Belfast Live about these concerns, a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure[13] said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by the incident on the Ballyblack Road East. The Department will support the PSNI[14] investigation as required.”
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References
- ^ overturned on the Ballyblack Road East near Newtownards (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Portaferry (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Belfast Live (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Education Minister and school Principal speak in wake of Carrowdore bus crash (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ ‘Miracle’ that children were not killed in bus crash as pupils ‘traumatised’ (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Ards Peninsula (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Department for Infrastructure (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Ards and North Down Borough Council (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Click this link (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ Privacy Notice (www.reachplc.com)
- ^ Newtownards Town Centre (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Bangor. (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ Department for Infrastructure (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ PSNI (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
- ^ sign up to our daily newsletter (www.belfastlive.co.uk)