Council Refuses Pupil Place on School Bus

Mar 4 2008 By Web User

South Lanarkshire Council's education services have refused my daughter a place on the contracted school bus which stops outside my front door.  I have challenged this and even sending a letter to the Chief Executive and leader of the council has made no difference.

The bus stop is at my front door and my daughter is extremely upset each day when all of her friends and cousins get on the bus, how can you explain to a seven-year-old that someone sitting in an office has said that she cannot get onto the bus?

There are many children that technically live closer to the school that have places. They have refused my daughter a privilege place 10 times claiming that there is no space on the bus when the bus leaves each morning less than half full, and even five months ago another bus company had the school contract and were sending larger buses and still the council claimed there was no room.

Not only that but my aunt looks after my daughter in the morning and my husband does the same after school and it means that it is not just one child affected but three because my daughter is not allowed on the bus.

I think that this is an absolute disgrace and can see no other reason other than discrimination as to why my daughter is being singled out as the only child in the estate not on the bus. 

I was wondering if you could print this story to highlight the council's extremely pig headed attitude over this matter which is breaking my daughter's heart each day.

In response to this a spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council told the Hamilton Advertiser online team: “The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1980 makes provision for Local Authorities to provide free school transport to pupils aged 8 years and under who live more than two miles from their local primary school.

“South Lanarkshire Council’s current policy is more generous in that free school transport is provided to all primary school children who live more than one mile from the local primary school.

 “The House of Lords ruling in 1986 established that where a child is not entitled to free school transport, it is the responsibility of the parents to make the necessary arrangements to ensure their child’s safe transportation.

 “Where there is spare capacity on a dedicated school contract vehicle it is South Lanarkshire Councils policy to offer such places to applicants from the area that are not eligible for school transport. 

“These privilege places are allocated after the start of the new school year when the total number of eligible children has been confirmed. 

“At this time, on this particular contract there are no seats identified as being available.”