The transportation critic is raising concerns that school bus inspections are not being completed due to a lack of staff to do them.

Last spring, a school bus in Mount Pearl was involved in an incident where the rear axle almost came off, prompting questions from the opposition about bus inspections and safety. An investigation is underway into the cause of that particular accident.

In the House of Assembly yesterday, PC MHA Loyola O’Driscoll first questioned Service NL Minister Sarah Stoodley about the number of vacancies for highway enforcement officers in the department. That question was not directly answered at the time, leading O’Driscoll to further charge that some school buses are being redirected to the weigh scales on the highway.

“Is the minister jeopardizing student safety?” asked O’Driscoll.

Stoodley replied by stating that she was “shocked” by the accusation.

She says all buses are inspected before the start of the school year, and more inspections are carried out throughout the year.

In a statement to VOCM News, the Department of Digital Government and Service NL reveals that they have 30 Highway Enforcement Officer positions filled, and are actively recruiting three positions.