Mechanical problems with the Island’s bus fleet left primary students stranded after designated school buses failed to show up.One parent charged that her nine-year-old daughter was left waiting outside Elliott Primary School for a bus that never arrived. On another occasion the bus arrived nearly an hour late.The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she called the Department of Public Transportation after her child was left stranded.“I was informed that several buses are out of service and they are not sure when the situation will be fixed,” she said. “This is unacceptable when parents who are at work have to cross their fingers and worry every afternoon hoping school buses will be there at 3.30pm.“Usually the buses pick the students up right after school but the students had to wait for an hour after school for the bus to arrive. My daughter texted me at 4 o’clock to say she was still at school because of the bus situation.“I spoke to a teacher on duty who was at the bus stop waiting with the children, she was told a bus was on its way but the bus never arrived. The children finally had to walk down the hill to catch a regular bus because the school bus never came to pick them up.”The woman added: “I had to call my daughter’s after-school programme to inform them that she was still at school because no school buses had arrived to pick the students up. The teacher informed me that other primary schools are also being affected and not just Elliott Primary School.“I stayed in contact with the after-school programme until my daughter arrived at 5 o’clock. Young children shouldn’t be put in situations like this to make judgment calls on how to get home from school or to an after-school programme.“My daughter has a basic prepaid cell phone to text me in the afternoons so I know when she is on the bus and at the after-school programme. If she didn’t have her phone, she wouldn’t have known what to do.“I would like to thank all the teachers who went beyond the call of duty after school hours who stayed with the children to make sure they were safe.”Bus operators told The Royal Gazette there could be as many as 40 buses off the road due to mechanical problems on any given day. One operator complained that ten new buses have been ordered but they will be used for sightseeing tours.A Government spokesman said: “The Department of Public Transportation (DPT) has implemented a number of initiatives to ensure the public is well-served by the bus service and the occasional mechanical issues.“Some recent measures include the implementation of a night shift so that buses are maintained and repaired during the evening. DPT is also looking to hire additional mechanical staff to complement the existing technical personnel.“Additionally DPT is engaged in advanced discussions with bus chassis and engine manufacturer MAN to provide additional support in the short term.”With regards to the purchase of new buses he said: “The average age of fleet has increased in recent years as there has been no recent purchases. DPT are currently reviewing proposals for the purchase of new buses to bring the average age of the fleet down and provide additional lift.“All of these measures are part of a larger plan that will address the challenges experienced during the last six to eight months.”He apologised on behalf of DPT for any inconvenience to students and their parents.“We would like to assure the public that we are working hard to ensure a safe and efficient public transportation system.”