Britain to cut school bus services

The Derbyshire County Council has decided to cut school bus services across the county causing great concern among parents and the local MP.

After conducting its Transport Consultation exercise, the Derbyshire County Council decided to cut over 70 school bus services all over the county. The decision is to take effect in April 2012.

This comes while the council had not mentioned any cuts in school bus services in a Cabinet Report issued on October 1, 2010. In the report, the council had even placed home to school services in the fourth position on its agenda, among the six most prioritized services.

Parents expressed their anger at the decision, questioning the reasonability of the decision that has raised issues such as the safety and well-being of the school-goers, as they would have to walk long distances to school.

Moreover, Labor MP for North East Derbyshire, Natascha Engel, expressed concerns over the consequences of the decision, adding that parents are reasonably worried about the security of their children.

“The Council does not appear to have any regard for the well-being of pupils who will have to walk long distances to school in all types of weather, carrying heavy school bags and also coping with the hazards of crossing major roads and in some cases walking in isolated areas,” Engel said.

Furthermore, Engel added that the council should have given prior notice to schools so that they could inform the parents. She also questioned the validity of the council’s consultation saying that the council is obliged to carry out studies examining the dangerous routes pupils should take to schools.