Barrhead News | News | FREE SCHOOL BUSES AXED?

Saturday, 22nd November, 2008

Published: Friday, 11th July, 2008 14:30

FREE SCHOOL BUSES AXED?

By Caireen Kelly

FEARS that a school bus service will be axed have been denied this week by East Renfrewshire Council.

Two buses that pick up pupils from Dunterlie and Cross Stobs and take them to school at St Luke’s High in Barrhead is currently operating as a free-of-charge service.

But plans are underway to get parents to pay a reduced fee for using the transport to get their kids to school.

The decision comes after the paid-for-by-parents service was introduced at St Ninian’s and Williamwood and hailed an out and out success.

However, parents have still not been notified about the project but some only see the prospective plans as a “mere inconvenience”.

Vincent Waters, a Barrhead parent with a child at St Luke’s, said: “My son does not use the service so it does not really affect us directly.

“But I can see how it would have inconvenienced the parents and family who do use the service.”

A spokesman for East Renfrewshire council said: “This service currently in operation will continue to run when the new term starts back on August 5.

“We do however, need to look at the service in more detail.

“If we decided to stop it we would need to look at the alternatives including finding out if another operator would take over the service.

“Or we would find out if parents would be willing to pay a proportion of the costs involved in running it.

“We will let people know in plenty of time if they are any changes to the service and it will be reviewed at a later date throughout the new school year.”

One parent, who refused to be named, said that East Renfrewshire Council are looking to make the move as a ‘cost cutting measure’ to save an estimated £40,000.

This is a statement which the council wholeheartedly denies.

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