School buses to 'strike' on Wednesday

Among the protesters on O'Connell Street in Dublin last week was James Carolan of Carolan Coaches, Nobber, who had three coaches in the blockade.

He said that school bus contractors across the country will hold a one day strike this Wednesday as part of the protest. "We are informing Bus Eireann today and we will probably do it again the following Wednesday."

Mr Carolan described yesterday's (Sunday) government package as "an insult" and warned that a lot of bus and tour operators will go to the wall with the rising fuel prices.

"I don't know what will happen. It is extremely difficult. All our tour work was priced last year. We have 185 eight-day back to back tours booked since last year and we cannot get one cent extra on any of them.

"It is the same with school transport. We are getting nothing extra from Bus Eireann. The 10 cent reduction on a litre of petrol and diesel is no good to us, it is an insult.

"We will just keep going as long as we can. It is not as if we could sell a bus to keep is going. Who would we sell it to?"

Mr Carolan will be among a group of bus operators to meet Marylou McDonald tomorrow (Tuesday).

He said that there was a lot of positive support for protest last week in Dublin. "Everybody on the street was supportive, but we got no support from government.

"It is time now for Ireland to shake up and bring about change. We have been far too soft. We have sat back for far too long and ust took everything," he said.