Opposition MLAS are questioning the viability of school buses in P.E.I. after it was revealed that a bus involved in a January collision had exceeded the typical 11-year lifespan permitted for the vehicles.

Friday in the provincial legislature, Liberal Opposition Leader Hal Perry spoke of a Jan. 8 crash at the intersection of Lower Malpeque Road and Melody Lane in Charlottetown involving what Perry said was a 2011 school bus used by P.E.I.’s French-language school board, La Commission scolaire de langue française. There were no injuries reported.

Perry said provincial legislation is clear that buses can’t be more than 11 years of age, “with only very limited exceptions.” He said the governing Progressive Conservatives are unable to agree on what department is responsible for the incident — transportation or education.

“Once it is established that a bus was operating outside the law, the next question is how that was allowed to happen, because a bus does not stay on the road past its legal limit by accident,” Perry said. 

“Someone made that decision.”

Student transportation regulations in P.E.I.’s Education Act state that a bus used to transport students can not exceed 11 years of age, but can be used for up to 13 years if the bus is used for a school-sponsored activity or as a temporary bus to replace another one that is taken out of service for repairs, maintenance or inspection.

Perry asked the PCs to table the number of school buses exceeding 11 years old in the legislature, as well as how many are still transporting students.

Transportation Minister Sidney MacEwen said he wasn’t aware of those details, but that he would get Perry the information.

Robin Croucher, the minister of education and early years, said the province’s main priority is the safety of students.

“We will not waver from that, regardless of the questions that come to us in this House,” he said. 

“That is going to continue moving forward between my department and theirs.”

Perry said “trust is not enough” when it comes to Island children, adding that the regulations are meaningless if they’re not enforced.

“Islanders should not have to wait for a tragedy before action,” he said, asking the PCs to commit to a full review of the province’s school buses by the end of the month. 

MacEwen said such reviews happen annually.

MacEwen told reporters outside of the legislature that Friday was the first time he was made aware of the age of the bus. He said he has asked his department to confirm the vehicle’s age and why it was on P.E.I. roads if it had reached the age threshold.

He said he has been told the affected bus was inspected and everything was operational, calling the collision “human error.”

“If [the Opposition] stated it was just outside that window, I take them at their word and I’m asking the department why that would be.”