Former UK Government minister David Blunkett is being invited to a meeting to discuss school bus safety.
As the chairman of the Yellow School Bus Commission, which seeks to establish a nationwide home-to-classroom transport system, MSPs believe the former Education Secretary and Home Secretary will be able to contribute to the debate sparked by north-east man Ron Beaty.
The campaigner, of Gardenstown, has called for safety improvements ever since his granddaughter Erin Beaty was hit by a car and left paralysed after stepping off a school bus in 2004.
Holyrood’s public petitions committee, which is considering a petition on the issue by Mr Beaty, has also agreed to invite Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce to its meeting on December 15. He is lobbying for tougher regulations at Westminster on school bus safety.
Josh Kane, convener of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s transport committee, and a Aberdeenshire Council official will also be asked to attend the meeting.
North East Conservative MSP Nanette Milne, a member of the committee, said: “We want to see what else can and should be done to make our children's journey to and from school safe and enjoyable, and we hope our discussion will help.”
It is not yet clear where the meeting will be held.
Aberdeenshire Council approved tough new rules on school bus safety last week.
The stringent measures, which will affect all 771 routes which carry more than 12,500 pupils to and from school in total, will come into effect from next August.
The new rules include a ban on buses described as “designed for urban use” and will make any coach without seatbelts unacceptable for school runs. Other amended rules require the yellow school bus signs to be removed from vehicles when no pupils are on board, road safety posters being put up in contract buses, and a safety DVD being included in all driver training courses.
In September 2008, Robyn Oldham, 15, was killed after being hit by a car just yards from her home near Turriff.
Later that month, 12-year-old Alexander Milne died after being knocked down by a car as he crossed the road at Lonmay, near Fraserburgh.
The Scottish Government has agreed to take forward Mr Beaty’s call for bus companies to attach more prominent warning signs to the back of vehicles to alert drivers that children are getting on and off when they are stationary.