Driver uninjured as school bus slides off road

A double-decker bus on its way to pick up pupils in Aberdeenshire crashed off the road yesterday.

The Stagecoach Bluebird bus slid off the B999 Aberdeen-Tarves road near Udny Station at 8.10am.

The vehicle, which landed on its side, is understood to have been on its way to Tarves to pick up Meldrum Academy pupils at the time.

Last night councillor Paul Johnston said the accident once again raises questions about the use of double-decker buses for rural school contracts.

He said: “I am relieved that there were no injuries in what looked a dramatic accident.

“There will be concern over the use of large double-decker buses on the very rural roads in this area because of this and I hope Stagecoach Bluebird can answer those concerns. New bus contracts due may well end this issue, but they should move to answer concerns for the time being.”

Last night a spokesman for the company said that the bus “slid into a soft verge and down an embankment” and that the accident happened on a bend as a car approached.

He added: “The driver was shaken, but uninjured.”

The pupils were later picked up by a different bus.