Parents horrified after two wheels fall off school bus carrying children in Milton Keynes

A coach company is holding a full investigation after two wheels dramatically fell off one of its school buses while it was bringing children home from school.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon last week in Bullington End Road inCastlethorpe, where parents and siblings of the schoolchildren were waiting for the familiar yellow Bill’s Coaches bus to drop the youngsters off from their Hanslope School.

"For years, the yellow bus has been a symbol of safety and reliability. However, on this fateful day, as the bus trundled along, a catastrophic incident unfolded. Two wheels of the bus came off, crashing onto the road,” said one witness.

"The scene that followed was nothing short of chaos. Children on board the bus were screaming and understandably distressed, while those waiting by the roadside were forced to scatter as the wheels flew dangerously close to them,” said one witness.

Parents acted swiftly to ensure their children’s safety, moving the heavy wheels out of harm's way, she said.

No child, either on or off the bus, was injured as a result of the incident and the female bus driver managed to bring the bus to a steady halt so the children could safely disembark.

"The incident sent shockwaves throughout the village,” said the witness.

But many parents have been understanding and have sent the bus driver cards and chocolates to thank her for her swift action.

Meanwhile the Bill’s Coaches school bus service has resumed as normal this week while a thorough scrutiny takes place to discover what made the wheels fall off.

The Stacey Bushes-based company runs a fleet of coaches all over England and all are subjected to strict maintenance and checks before they go on the road. This is the first time such an incident had happened and it has left mechanics puzzled.

It is believed one disturbing strand of the investigation will be whether the bus was deliberately tampered with.

Parents say the incident underscores the need for stricter safety regulations and thorough maintenance checks on school buses.

“In recent years, government cuts to school budgets have forced educational institutions and transportation providers to make difficult decisions. The pressure to reduce costs often means that essential maintenance and safety checks are compromised, putting the lives of innocent children at risk, said one.

"This incident in Hanslope is a stark reminder that the consequences of such decisions can be dire.”

Ryan Legg, managing director of Stacey Bushes-based Bill’s Coach Hire, told the Citizen today (Monday): “At Bills Minibus & Coach Hire Limited we all take the safety of our passengers, drivers and other road users very seriously.

We have engaged the services of a specialist Transport Consultancy to investigate the circumstances of this incident and have already been in contact with the relevant authorities over the matter.”

Ryan added: Until the investigation is completed it would be wrong for anyone to speculate on the cause of this incident. We will not be making any other comments until such time as we have received the Consultant’s report.”

Bill’s Coaches is a family-run business that also provides day trips to seaside or tourist destinations, picking people up from estates and areas all over Milton Keynes for a service that is practically door to door.