School buses axed

Published 18 Mar 2010 10:16 7 Comments

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ANGRY: Pupils are losing the Pay and Go scheme

By Ewan McInnes

A GROUP of parents have been left in disarray after their childrens school bus service was axed.

Two weeks ago, the Barrhead News reported on proposals from East Renfrewshire Council to withdraw its Pay and Go bus service because not enough school kids were using it.

However, with no alternatives modes of transport in place, some parents are now concerned for their kids' safety.

They fear that if their children are forced to walk to school, they would have to cross Barrhead's busy Main Street at rush hour and pass through a public park.

Tracey Burke, whose daughter Hollie uses the service to get to St John's Primary school, has been left worrying how her eight-year-old will make it to school when the service is scrapped for the 2010/11 school year.

The 40-year-old mum who lives in St Mary's Crescent, said: "I am disappointed there will be no bus for Hollie to get.

"I don't want her walking through Carlibar Park or crossing the Main Street herself to get to school.

"The bus we had was great and I could safely put her on it each morning.

"We have been using the service since it started but this [decision] is penalising people who are trying to hold down a job.

"I don't mind paying for the service as long as Hollie gets to school safely."

Tracey starts work each morning at 9am as a dental nurse in Paisley and she relies on the Pay and Go service getting her daughter to and from school safely.

Her husband works away from home so it is up to her to get Hollie to school and pick her up from the bus stop in the afternoon.

However, Tracey said the withdrawal of this service will have a major impact on how her daughter gets to school.

She said: "It is just a mini-bus they put on but it was popular and a lot of parents were using it for their kids.

"Hopefully we can sort something out before the start of the next school year."

A council spokesman said the decision to scrap the Pay and Go bus service is irreversible, but they will assist any parents who want help to charter a bus from a local bus company.

He said: "We are not taking the buses off until June, so that gives us and the parents time to work on alternatives.

"We are talking to operators and will be happy to help parents organise buses or taxis so that we are not walking away from any parents and will work with them to help them get their children to school safely and on time."

This article appeared in Barrhead News 17 Mar 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

LindaB
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Mar 18, 10:29
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Geez, that's a shame, imagine that.

A child having to WALK.

There was a time and not so long ago, that children did walk, everywhere, in snow, in ice, on cold dark mornings, and cold dark nights.

A walk to school in thick snow, from Neilston to Barrhead, may not have been fun, be we got there and on time.

Time to stop the namby pamby treatment of our kids,

introduce them to the great outdoors, friends and walking companions, there is safety in numbers you know.

Unless of course, you want to pay through the nose for privste transport, before putting your childs health first.

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Andy James
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Mar 18, 10:54
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The fact that parents are willing to pay surely says something about how unsafe they feel the road is. I woyldn't let one of my kids walking through Carlibar Park. It's alright on the light morning in summer, but what about when it's pitch black in the winter? So many things happen these days that we need to keep as watchful an eye on our kids as possible. Good for the council for considering alternatives.

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Jen
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Mar 19, 11:22
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Why dont they get a walking group organized? I walked to school myself when I was little and a longer distance than from just half a mile! There were always walking groups though from certain parents who walked to school anyway. I agree with Linda that too many children are too lazy to walk and instead being driven to schools, not good on the environment all these extra cars and buses out causing congestion.

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Trish
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Mar 19, 13:37
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I'm not opposed to my kids walking to school when it's light but I wouldn't be sending them in the dark. And it's okay for primary 5 and up to walk, but what about the p1's? some of them are only 4. it's all very well to say there should be a walking group, but if you don't know the other parents you might not be comfortable leaving your kids with them.

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Jimmy
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Mar 22, 09:54
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Barrhead does an okay job of keeping kids healthy. although i think that all kids should walk to school, that's not always possible. And sometimes safety needs to come first. the kids could walk to school in the summer and then maybe the council could help parents charter a mini bus in the winter? Obviously parents might have to pay a bit more, but i'm sure the council could get them a bit of a discount.

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Mike
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Mar 22, 09:57
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I don't understand why the council has been subsidising this service for so long if it costs so much money. Why doesn't the council just buy a mini bus? It probably only costs the same as subsidising one child. Then they could ask for volunteers to drive it and pay for their disclosures. It would have saved them a lot of money and then the kids would get to school safely. plus the council would have another mini bus.

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Jamie
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Apr 12, 18:37
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It is unfortunate that the kids now have to walk especially at Primary age. I must say though I agree that kids should walk more, it keeps them healthy and prepares them for the real world!

Being that I work in Paisley I frequently walk up and down Darnley/Parkhouse Road to/from Barrhead for a direct bus journey that doesnt take an hour and a half and involve a change! So I can vouch for the fact that this area is pretty exposed to the elements, and can see how a child's health could suffer in the cold weather.

I don't see why a commercial alternative isn't plausable, maybe run the wee 52 an extra different route at schooltimes?

What is really heartbreaking, though more common in the likes of Spam- I mean Newton Mearns and Clarkston, is the 400 yard schoolrun by Jeep! How can these kids ever gain independence? Parents say its for safety, but if the kids aren't streetwise they will become more vulnerable teens/adults!

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