MHA Paul Lane calling for all-party committee on school buses

Independent MHA Paul Lanesays it's time for elected representatives to get serious about the busing issues in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Lane is calling on Premier Dwight Ball and the provincial government to create an all-party committee in the House of Assembly to study issues of bus safety and availability.

In a letter he sent to the premier in October, Lane listed the safety inspection process, safety enforcement, overcrowding and bus schedules as some of the issues that need scrutiny.

"There are numerous issues and concerns around busing, so I think that the only way to really deal with it is to get an all-party committee going," he told CBC'sHere and Now.

'Our children'

Lane says he's concerned with the number of buses in the province which have been failing inspections.

15 buses in recent weeks have been prohibited from carrying passengers due to vehicle issues.

Lane says he was also "disturbed" to hear the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District's Terry Hall explain the safety issues were no more numerous this year.

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"We're talking about our children, here, and we're talking about their safety," he said.

Lane says the committee should look at the bus contract tendering, which some operators have been critiquing.

"I think we need to look at the best practices from other provinces. I think we need to have a good, honest, frank discussion with the busing industry," Lane said.

The independent MHA also called on the Ministers of Education and Transportation to take ownership of the problems.