By Nigel McDonagh

and Mark McKelvey

THE Western Education and Library Board (WELB) is taking major steps to improve safety for pupils in West Tyrone. The move comes in the wake of last week's horrific accident in Fermanagh, when two teenagers died after being struck by a car whilst walking home from school.

As a result of the accident, the WELB has made contact with the PSNI and the Department of Environment's Road Safety Education Branch, with the view to looking at new and innovative initiatives to keep all of its pupils safe while travelling to and from school, either on foot or by school transport.

These include pupils from rural areas wearing reflective strips so they can be seen in the dark winter mornings and evenings. It is intended that a series of meetings commence as a matter of urgency and that approved initiatives are extended to all parts of the WELB's area.

In order to promote maximum pupil safety this year, the WELB is encouraging principals and parents to raise this very important issue with young people, and to emphasise the particular need for pupils to exercise the utmost care when boarding and disembarking from buses.

WELB Chief Executive, Barry Mulholland, said, "It is also essential to stress that extreme care should be taken if walking any part of the journey to and from school. If walking, it is essential that pupils wear reflective clothing in order to alert motorists to their presence on the roads.

"Experience has shown, the area which carries the highest incidence for serious injury is when pupils are disembarking from buses. It is important, therefore, that they take up a position close to the side of the road, at the doors, and allow the bus to move safely away from the stop before attempting any manoeuvres. Only then should pupils cross the road when it is free of traffic and they have a clear view to their left and right.

He added, "At this time of year both drivers and pupils need to be particularly vigilant when travelling to and from or indeed in the vicinity of schools. The limited visibility during dark mornings and evenings, coupled with the excitement surrounding the Christmas season, can result in serious and sometimes fatal accidents at this time of year."

The WELB's move has been welcomed by Joanne Gault, the mother of Nathan Gault (15), who along with his friend Debbie White 14), died when struck by a car at Florencecourt in Fermanagh last Thursday evening.

Mrs Gault is backing calls for pupils in rural areas to wear reflective strips so they can be seen in the darkness.

Speaking to the UlsterHerald, she said, "Even if it was compulsory, I would rather see something of high visibility as part of the blazer itself."

Meanwhile, the WELB has rejected claims that its transport policy is putting the lives of children in the Castlederg area at risk.

Following the tragic deaths of the two teenagers in Fermanagh, DUP West Tyrone MLA Tom Buchanan expressed fears that a similar incident could happen in Castlederg after a large number of children were prevented from travelling home in what he described as a "half empty bus."

Cllr Buchanan expressed dismay that 12 children were put off a school bus route in the evening because they only had concessionary seats.

He said, "The safety of our children in these dark evenings is a issue of major concern to everyone and I call on the WELB and the Transport Manager to ensure that our children are provided with safe and adequate transport on their way home from school.

"This Castlederg High School bus is less than half full each evening, yet the WELB is depriving these children of their safety and putting their lives at risk by not allowing them a seat on this half empty bus.

"The Transport Manager has continually quoted procedures to me in a vain attempt to seek and justify his decision while denying these children a seat on the bus. However, procedures do not provide safety for children but simply put their lives in imminent danger. I call on him to allow these children to travel home on this bus because it will provide them with proper safety and alleviate the concerns of their parents."

In addressing the issues raised by Cllr Buchanan, a WELB spokesperson highlighted that its policies and procedures are the mechanism by which all public sector organisations operate and it is not the preserve of the Chief Transport Officer, or indeed any other officer of the Board, to deviate from them.

The spokesperson said, "To suggest that the Chief Transport Officer makes these decisions and would so place children in danger is wholly inaccurate and unhelpful. Concessionary transport may exist where the Board provides its own transport and seats are available after the requirements of all eligible pupils have been met.

"In this case the Board may offer seats to ineligible pupils on a concessionary basis. Strict rules govern the provision of concessionary transport or otherwise and it is for the Board to determine which pupils should be given concessionary transport assistance, but it has no authority to incur additional expenditure in order to facilitate concessionary travellers.

"In this case the Board has been able to retain concessionary transport in the morning to Castlederg High School for the pupils affected but are unable to do so in the afternoon. This is due to the numbers of pupils to be transported, the schools closing times, the routes to be undertaken and the availability of vehicles."