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-Lsqnot Respond
Guest
The Nottingham local rag carries the article, below.
The interesting paras say
"Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.
Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals,
questioning whether the children would be safe cycling or
catching a public bus to and from school."
Seems a pretty good idea to me. On the one hand it
encourages cycling (which can never be bad) and on the other
it moves the money for buses into mainstream public buses
rather than dedicated school runs.
There are, of course, the usual horrified cries of
"cycling! you mean you want us to murder our children". And
outrage at children actually having to find out what their
legs are for.
Full article:
Nottingham's school buses could be axed to save money. The
city council is considering ditching them in favour of
pupil bus passes and cycling to school. But where will it
leave the children and how safe will they be? STEPHANIE
BUNGAY reports
School buses have been in use across the country for 60
years, providing a reassuring service delivering children
right to the schoolgates and back home at night.
Parents have been able to relax in the knowledge their
children are dropped off and picked up safely each day, and
that they are excused the dreaded school run.
But in Nottingham, school buses might soon be a thing
of the past.
The city council says they cost too much to run. The bill
this year is £2.8m, £800,000 over budget.
It wants to scrap the service, saving £600,000 a year that
could be ploughed back into education.
Under plans being considered by the council, pupils - both
primary and secondary - would instead either be given bus
passes or free bikes.
The council's preferred option is to buy youngsters from the
age of nine bikes, the cost of which would be capped. The
bikes would then be returned when the child left school.
Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.
Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals,
questioning whether the children would be safe cycling or
catching a public bus to and from school.
But Coun Graham Chapman, cabinet member for education, said:
"Of course there are going to be people out there who don't
like this; people who say they are going to be worse off or
that their kids will be in danger.
"But what people have to understand is we need to do this.
We are spending too much on our school buses. There is an
over-provision."
There are currently 20 school buses carrying 700 pupils
attending 15 schools. Of those, 500 are not even entitled to
free school transport and could lose out under the
proposals.
A further 1,000 pupils travel by bus using a pass paid for
by the council, though 400 of those are not legally entitled
to them and also could lose out.
Coun Chapman said it was yet to decided whether those pupils
not legally entitled to free transport but who get in anyway
would lose it should the changes be introduced.
He added: "It costs us over £1,000 per pupil a year on a
school bus. A bus pass for the year costs £190. That is a
significant saving which we can put into education in the
areas we want."
Free school transport was introduced after the 1944
Education Act entered the statute books, making it a legal
responsibility that parents made sure their children went to
school - and some parents complained they lived too far from
their nearest school.
It is enshrined in law for primary youngsters who live more
than two miles from their local school and secondary pupils
who live more than three miles away.
The council said that the bill for providing school buses
had spiralled since it took over control of education in the
city from the county council in 1998 because of higher fuel
costs. The cost is expected to rise by a further 25% to 30%
this year.
Many of the buses are travelling to and from schools
half empty.
A council spokesman said: "We had to put a halt to that. It
just could not go on."
But what about the safety of the children and impact on
adult bus users?
Head teachers contacted by the Post were concerned about
the plans.
Mike McKeever, deputy head at Trinity School, Aspley, said:
"Getting all our pupils to use public transport would not be
acceptable to us at all.
"To even consider it there would have to be significant
improvements in the provision. I would imagine all the
schools would agree with that."
Mr McKeever added: "Can you imagine large groups of children
all having to walk to one bus stop from different schools?
"We have no problem with our pupils on public buses, but it
is not the same for other schools and there could be all
sorts of trouble."
Steve Clarke, schools transport project manager for the
council, said: "I don't forsee us having massive problems.
The majority of youngsters who already get on public
transport are well-behaved. Yes, they are boisterous, but
that is all and most people appreciate that."
But he said the council would consider city-centre patrols
to make sure children were getting on buses safely and
behaving themselves.
Head of St Patrick's Catholic Primary, Wilford, Nick
Benzie said that he would prefer that school bus service
was kept running.
"The good thing about school buses is that they pick
children up from the school gates and drop them off
there," he said.
Mr McKeever said he was also concerned about the free bike
scheme. There had already been a number of bikes stolen at
his school - but his biggest worry was safety.
"We just don't have the infrastructure for this. There are
no proper safety routes and we would have children having to
take the A610.
"It would be dangerous for many children. We need to look at
this sensibly and think of the safety."
The changes have been drawn up in three stages.
Stage one, which will happen, starts this September,
when the number of school buses will be cut from 20 to
14. The remaining 14 buses will be changed from double
to single deckers.
Stage two, only under consideration, would be to persuade
Nottingham City Transport to put more buses on routes
serving schools in the morning and at going home time.
Barrie Burch, head of NCT, said: "I really can't say what we
are going to do. I have just spoken with the council and
need to consider all the implications.
"This is a serious issue. We can't just put a bus on.
They cost over £100,000 and we need to make sure it
will be used."
Coun Chapman said: "Stage three would be getting rid of
school buses and issuing bus passes instead and giving out
free bikes.
"I like the bikes option. Children need to keep fit and this
would be a great way of doing that."
The council says that though it is considering the stages
two and three changes, nothing is set in stone. But Mr
Chapman said that if they were approved everything would
hopefully be in place by September next year.
Coun Chapman said the council would keep to guidelines set
by the Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents restricting
the free bikes to children over nine, and all safety issues
would be considered.
A spokesman for the RoSPA said: "A bike scheme can have a
lot of positive benefits but everything must be done
correctly and all the road safety issues have to be in
place. There needs to be safe, dedicated cycle routes. That
is going to be the real test."
On that, Coun Chapman said: "We would look at cycle routes
and that is something we would introduce by working with
the schools.
"We would also have to look at providing helmets and
reflective pads."
Under the plans children would be given security locks and
bike sheds would be built at schools.
The council is also to appoint a transport plan co-ordinator
to work with schools.
Road safety groups have urged the council to consider
pupils' safety.
Simon Collister, from Brake, a road safety charity, which
works to reduce death and injuries on roads, said: "School
buses pick up children at school gates. If these changes
mean pupils, particularly younger ones, had to walk or cross
roads to get a bus, it is worrying.
"We would want to make sure that there were proper road
safety lessons for all students
"And we would also press for all roads around schools be a
20mph zone."
School bus changes: Stage one
From September, the number of school buses serving 15
primary and secondary schools in Nottingham will be cut
from 20 to 14.
The cuts will see:
Two double-decker buses serving St Augustine's Catholic
Primary, Mapperley, reduced to two single deckers
Two double deckers serving Elliot Durham Comprehensive,
Mapperley, replaced by one double decker
Two single deckers serving Bramcote Park Comprehensive and
Alderman White Comprehensive cut to one single decker
Two double deckers serving St Patrick's Catholic Primary
and South Wilford Primary, both Wilford, reduced to two
single deckers
Three double deckers serving Bluecoat Comprehensive, Manning
Comprehensive and Trinity School, Aspley, replaced by three
single deckers
Two single deckers serving Emmanuel School, Wilford,
replaced by one double decker
Two double deckers serving St Margaret Clitherow, Bestwood
Park, replaced by one double decker
A double decker serving St Teresa's, Aspley, replaced by a
single decker
A double decker serving St Edwards, St Ann's, replaced by a
single decker
A double decker serving Christ the King, Arnold, replaced by
a single decker
Two buses serving Fairham College, Clifton, axed altogether.
Pointing out potential problems
The council certainly has its work cut out to win over
parents and pupils going by those the Post talked to.
While school buses are expensive, most people think they are
the best option.
Lewis Slater, 15, from Wollaton, rides to school, but he
does not think it is for everyone.
"The good thing about a school bus is it takes you to your
home. If you live far from school you can't get a bike or
public transport. It is too inconvenient. I also think it
could lead to fights between pupils from different schools,
and there would be more bullying."
Charlotte Howldsworth, 14, from Bilborough, walks to
school. She said: "I would rather walk than use a bike
because I wear a skirt. I don't think the plans are good at
all. If you live far away it is going to make it difficult
to get to school.
"It is not going to be safe for pupils and there will be
trouble. You are better getting on just with kids from
your school."
Jennifer Cairney, a mother-of-six from Arnold, said: "I'd
like to see something like the US system of yellow buses
dropping kids off at the end of their streets. My three
eldest are having to walk about two miles to school because
there isn't a bus to take them.
"I think it's silly getting kids that young to go on public
transport. What do they do if there's no room on the bus?
"If kids were given bikes most of them would have to go on
major roads and I certainly wouldn't be happy with mine
riding on them."
Naran Rathod, parent/governor at Manning School, Aspley,
whose daughter uses public transport to get to school, said:
"I think getting secondary youngsters to use public
transport would work, but I don't think it would be
appropriate for primary pupils.
"I really don't think the bikes idea would be good. Road
congestion would put pupils at significant risk.
"There would also have to be an extensive system of cycle
tracks to provide a safe way to school.
"But there are parts of the city which are not adequate or
built for that. This should not be for all schools or all
pupils, because there will be some who physically can't
use bikes."
The interesting paras say
"Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.
Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals,
questioning whether the children would be safe cycling or
catching a public bus to and from school."
Seems a pretty good idea to me. On the one hand it
encourages cycling (which can never be bad) and on the other
it moves the money for buses into mainstream public buses
rather than dedicated school runs.
There are, of course, the usual horrified cries of
"cycling! you mean you want us to murder our children". And
outrage at children actually having to find out what their
legs are for.
Full article:
Nottingham's school buses could be axed to save money. The
city council is considering ditching them in favour of
pupil bus passes and cycling to school. But where will it
leave the children and how safe will they be? STEPHANIE
BUNGAY reports
School buses have been in use across the country for 60
years, providing a reassuring service delivering children
right to the schoolgates and back home at night.
Parents have been able to relax in the knowledge their
children are dropped off and picked up safely each day, and
that they are excused the dreaded school run.
But in Nottingham, school buses might soon be a thing
of the past.
The city council says they cost too much to run. The bill
this year is £2.8m, £800,000 over budget.
It wants to scrap the service, saving £600,000 a year that
could be ploughed back into education.
Under plans being considered by the council, pupils - both
primary and secondary - would instead either be given bus
passes or free bikes.
The council's preferred option is to buy youngsters from the
age of nine bikes, the cost of which would be capped. The
bikes would then be returned when the child left school.
Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.
Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals,
questioning whether the children would be safe cycling or
catching a public bus to and from school.
But Coun Graham Chapman, cabinet member for education, said:
"Of course there are going to be people out there who don't
like this; people who say they are going to be worse off or
that their kids will be in danger.
"But what people have to understand is we need to do this.
We are spending too much on our school buses. There is an
over-provision."
There are currently 20 school buses carrying 700 pupils
attending 15 schools. Of those, 500 are not even entitled to
free school transport and could lose out under the
proposals.
A further 1,000 pupils travel by bus using a pass paid for
by the council, though 400 of those are not legally entitled
to them and also could lose out.
Coun Chapman said it was yet to decided whether those pupils
not legally entitled to free transport but who get in anyway
would lose it should the changes be introduced.
He added: "It costs us over £1,000 per pupil a year on a
school bus. A bus pass for the year costs £190. That is a
significant saving which we can put into education in the
areas we want."
Free school transport was introduced after the 1944
Education Act entered the statute books, making it a legal
responsibility that parents made sure their children went to
school - and some parents complained they lived too far from
their nearest school.
It is enshrined in law for primary youngsters who live more
than two miles from their local school and secondary pupils
who live more than three miles away.
The council said that the bill for providing school buses
had spiralled since it took over control of education in the
city from the county council in 1998 because of higher fuel
costs. The cost is expected to rise by a further 25% to 30%
this year.
Many of the buses are travelling to and from schools
half empty.
A council spokesman said: "We had to put a halt to that. It
just could not go on."
But what about the safety of the children and impact on
adult bus users?
Head teachers contacted by the Post were concerned about
the plans.
Mike McKeever, deputy head at Trinity School, Aspley, said:
"Getting all our pupils to use public transport would not be
acceptable to us at all.
"To even consider it there would have to be significant
improvements in the provision. I would imagine all the
schools would agree with that."
Mr McKeever added: "Can you imagine large groups of children
all having to walk to one bus stop from different schools?
"We have no problem with our pupils on public buses, but it
is not the same for other schools and there could be all
sorts of trouble."
Steve Clarke, schools transport project manager for the
council, said: "I don't forsee us having massive problems.
The majority of youngsters who already get on public
transport are well-behaved. Yes, they are boisterous, but
that is all and most people appreciate that."
But he said the council would consider city-centre patrols
to make sure children were getting on buses safely and
behaving themselves.
Head of St Patrick's Catholic Primary, Wilford, Nick
Benzie said that he would prefer that school bus service
was kept running.
"The good thing about school buses is that they pick
children up from the school gates and drop them off
there," he said.
Mr McKeever said he was also concerned about the free bike
scheme. There had already been a number of bikes stolen at
his school - but his biggest worry was safety.
"We just don't have the infrastructure for this. There are
no proper safety routes and we would have children having to
take the A610.
"It would be dangerous for many children. We need to look at
this sensibly and think of the safety."
The changes have been drawn up in three stages.
Stage one, which will happen, starts this September,
when the number of school buses will be cut from 20 to
14. The remaining 14 buses will be changed from double
to single deckers.
Stage two, only under consideration, would be to persuade
Nottingham City Transport to put more buses on routes
serving schools in the morning and at going home time.
Barrie Burch, head of NCT, said: "I really can't say what we
are going to do. I have just spoken with the council and
need to consider all the implications.
"This is a serious issue. We can't just put a bus on.
They cost over £100,000 and we need to make sure it
will be used."
Coun Chapman said: "Stage three would be getting rid of
school buses and issuing bus passes instead and giving out
free bikes.
"I like the bikes option. Children need to keep fit and this
would be a great way of doing that."
The council says that though it is considering the stages
two and three changes, nothing is set in stone. But Mr
Chapman said that if they were approved everything would
hopefully be in place by September next year.
Coun Chapman said the council would keep to guidelines set
by the Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents restricting
the free bikes to children over nine, and all safety issues
would be considered.
A spokesman for the RoSPA said: "A bike scheme can have a
lot of positive benefits but everything must be done
correctly and all the road safety issues have to be in
place. There needs to be safe, dedicated cycle routes. That
is going to be the real test."
On that, Coun Chapman said: "We would look at cycle routes
and that is something we would introduce by working with
the schools.
"We would also have to look at providing helmets and
reflective pads."
Under the plans children would be given security locks and
bike sheds would be built at schools.
The council is also to appoint a transport plan co-ordinator
to work with schools.
Road safety groups have urged the council to consider
pupils' safety.
Simon Collister, from Brake, a road safety charity, which
works to reduce death and injuries on roads, said: "School
buses pick up children at school gates. If these changes
mean pupils, particularly younger ones, had to walk or cross
roads to get a bus, it is worrying.
"We would want to make sure that there were proper road
safety lessons for all students
"And we would also press for all roads around schools be a
20mph zone."
School bus changes: Stage one
From September, the number of school buses serving 15
primary and secondary schools in Nottingham will be cut
from 20 to 14.
The cuts will see:
Two double-decker buses serving St Augustine's Catholic
Primary, Mapperley, reduced to two single deckers
Two double deckers serving Elliot Durham Comprehensive,
Mapperley, replaced by one double decker
Two single deckers serving Bramcote Park Comprehensive and
Alderman White Comprehensive cut to one single decker
Two double deckers serving St Patrick's Catholic Primary
and South Wilford Primary, both Wilford, reduced to two
single deckers
Three double deckers serving Bluecoat Comprehensive, Manning
Comprehensive and Trinity School, Aspley, replaced by three
single deckers
Two single deckers serving Emmanuel School, Wilford,
replaced by one double decker
Two double deckers serving St Margaret Clitherow, Bestwood
Park, replaced by one double decker
A double decker serving St Teresa's, Aspley, replaced by a
single decker
A double decker serving St Edwards, St Ann's, replaced by a
single decker
A double decker serving Christ the King, Arnold, replaced by
a single decker
Two buses serving Fairham College, Clifton, axed altogether.
Pointing out potential problems
The council certainly has its work cut out to win over
parents and pupils going by those the Post talked to.
While school buses are expensive, most people think they are
the best option.
Lewis Slater, 15, from Wollaton, rides to school, but he
does not think it is for everyone.
"The good thing about a school bus is it takes you to your
home. If you live far from school you can't get a bike or
public transport. It is too inconvenient. I also think it
could lead to fights between pupils from different schools,
and there would be more bullying."
Charlotte Howldsworth, 14, from Bilborough, walks to
school. She said: "I would rather walk than use a bike
because I wear a skirt. I don't think the plans are good at
all. If you live far away it is going to make it difficult
to get to school.
"It is not going to be safe for pupils and there will be
trouble. You are better getting on just with kids from
your school."
Jennifer Cairney, a mother-of-six from Arnold, said: "I'd
like to see something like the US system of yellow buses
dropping kids off at the end of their streets. My three
eldest are having to walk about two miles to school because
there isn't a bus to take them.
"I think it's silly getting kids that young to go on public
transport. What do they do if there's no room on the bus?
"If kids were given bikes most of them would have to go on
major roads and I certainly wouldn't be happy with mine
riding on them."
Naran Rathod, parent/governor at Manning School, Aspley,
whose daughter uses public transport to get to school, said:
"I think getting secondary youngsters to use public
transport would work, but I don't think it would be
appropriate for primary pupils.
"I really don't think the bikes idea would be good. Road
congestion would put pupils at significant risk.
"There would also have to be an extensive system of cycle
tracks to provide a safe way to school.
"But there are parts of the city which are not adequate or
built for that. This should not be for all schools or all
pupils, because there will be some who physically can't
use bikes."
