Suspended bus company says it was 'railroaded,' as school board finds replacements

The largest school board in Newfoundland and Labrador has mustered resources to replace all of the routes affected by its surprise suspension earlier this week of Kelloway Investments, which provided transportation for students at 22 schools in the St. John's area.

"Essentially, we have worked with contractors and some of our own resources to resume service forMonday. So, using this we have enough buses to have the runs operational forMonday," said Ken Morrissey, director of communications with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.

The move caught parents off guard, and isn't sitting well withKellowayInvestmentsowner JimKelloway, who said Friday that Wednesday's evening's decision was uncalled for.

"I'm being railroaded" by the district, he told CBC News.

• Suspended buses had defects in brake lines, emergency doors: inspectors

Kellowaymet with the NLESD Friday morning to discuss why his company's buses were pulled off the road.

The district cited safety concerns as it suspended Kelloway's contract, in a move thatforced hundreds of families to make other arrangements to get children to school Thursday and Friday.

Some, though, weren't able to do so.

Heather Pike, a mother inBauline, said Fridayshe is upset her two children have missed school timebecause they simply could not get there, after the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District suspended the bus company that transports them.

"The bus services here inBaulineare essential. They're a crucial service that everybody needs," Heather Pike toldCBC'sSt. John's Morning ShowFriday.

Pike said she doesn't have a car, and couldn't get her daughter to Cape St. Francis Elementary or her sonto Holy Trinity High School.

"It's a 45-minute drive. It's not like back in the day when you could walk to school and it was just around the corner."

'Catastrophe waiting to happen'

Pikesaid parents like her are left scrambling, even though issues with school bus safety have been raised since the beginning of the school year.

"They had all of Christmas holidays to figure this out," she said.

It's not like back in the day when you could walk to school and it was just around the corner.- Heather Pike

"Now all of a sudden the week before school exams they yank the buses off the road, and leaving everything kind of up in the air figuring out what we have to do," she said.

Pike said the safety of the school buses her children take every day is a major concern, and it should have been addressed long ago.

"If the buses are not up to par, I mean, that's a catastrophe waiting to happen."

Company owner 'shocked'

Kelloway said theNLESD made the decision after Service NL inspectors looked at buses that weren't in active use.

"I was just as much shocked as parents out there. A couple of buses had issues," he said.

"They're buses that's not even being used on the road. All these new buses didn't have any issues regards to any safety concerns for children."

Four of the suspended buses were found to have serious brake problems, but Kelloway said the buses that are actually carrying students are fine.

He claimed that 70 per cent of his fleet is new. He said the parked buses were older, purchased from Island Bus Service as spares.

That company has faced its own issues with its buses recently, charged with violations including displaying false vehicle inspection certificates.

• School bus company, mechanic face 100 charges

Kelloway also said he thinks the NLESD is overreacting to an issue during Monday morning's poor weather.

He saida driver with students on a bus was stuck in snow in Bauline for roughly 30 minutes, until neighbours helped.

With no cell service in the area, no one knew what was going on and students were left out in the cold.