Positive first step in call for legislation to enhance road safety around school buses following tragic death of Caitlin-Rose McMullan

Councillor Denise Johnston, who is campaigning for new road safety laws to protect children getting on or off school buses in Northern Ireland said a written reply from the Minister to the March 18 question ‘is a very positive result’.

It comes after the tragic death of Caitlin McMullan near her Castledawson home recently.

The question asked the Minister for Infrastructure, Liz Kimmins, to detail any measures that will be introduced to ensure the safety of children alighting from and boarding buses.

In her reply she said that she was committed to considering any initiatives that can improve road safety, which is a priority for me as Minister’.

She added that ‘with regard for school buses, she has asked her official to look into initiatives that will improve road safety for children and report back to her’.

And that she has asked her officials to reinforce the messaging around road safety for everyone, especially the vulnerable’.

Councillor Johnston added: “It will take all parties to unite around this to ensure there are no more school bus related deaths or injuries on our roads.

"I am confident together we can do this and do it quickly with the right mindset.

"We will continue to apply whatever pressure is necessary to expedite this.”

Caitlin-Rose had been returning home from St. Pius X college in Magherafelt where she was a Year 8 pupil when she was knocked down after getting off the school bus on March 5.

Since that awful day, Caitlin’s mother Stella McGinn started a petition calling for more safety measures to be introduced around children getting on and off school buses.

Her death has prompted calls for Northern Ireland to adopt similar laws to those in place in the USA, where drivers are banned from overtaking a school bus once it has stopped.

To date more than 11,000 people have signed the petition – See it here