Safe Speed Forums

OK, it's old news but I've been looking for an appropriate place to discuss it.

In the Queens speech the government outlined a draft bill they intend to put forward to allow councils to charge better off parents for school busses. Bizarely they claim this is to reduce congestion.

Surely if you start charging for the school bus, you are encouraging parents to switch to the 'free' option of using the family car, most of the cost of which is spent before it turns a wheel. Thereby incresing congestion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3239248.stm

I'm absolutely furious about this. I have two children currently eligible for free school transport. Although we live within the 2 mile catchment the route is (correctly) adjudged too dangerous, as it involves crossing a busy A road then a narrow rural lane which is clearly unsafe for young ones to walk down.

Living in a semi-rural area we have two cars, so at the first hint of being charged for a school bus service we will simply abandon it and add to the numbers of mothers doing "the school run", as will most of the other current bus users.

It is only a small village school (160 pupils), but suffers badly from congestion (as most do). At a rough estimate, I would say that about half the children live in the village so walk to school, and about 40 travel there on two buses. Therefor if everyone were to abandon the buses and drive instead that would approximately double the number of cars doing the school run, something the Government claim to be against!

Hi JT

We had this chat way back when - when I had a moan about 4 kids (lad aged 16, twins at 14 and a 6 year old) and a potential whopping charge of £400 per child per year just to get them to school by bus. That is a lot of money - and we will simply adjust our work practice and take them ourselves. Far cheaper. Will add to congestion and more mumpties on the dangerous rural routes as well as you say. More accidents too as that Autocar's "Soap Box" placed this in top 17 of driver distractions likely to cause an accident. (road signs? scams and speedo gawp were in 8th-11th according to this bloke's survey! )

Rest of the family (um - there are over 40 of us if you count my family and the wife's - and that is not including the kids - and they all have between 3 and 7 kids each! )

They are fuming about this as well. Nice little earner for local government and another stealth tax for us. Of course, if we were on benefit - we would get the service provided for free. But we ain't and extra £1600 per year is a huge amount of dosh. Unrealistic. Unfortunately, work arrangements will have to change to accommodate the school hours. My wife's work takes her to Chester and Manchester. Mine - most hospitals and labs around the North West. Can manage the morning run - just. Chucking out time will be tricky for us. Looking at solutions - and not easy!

The rest of the family are in same situation.

(About 20 of 'em are active on these forums somewhere as well! You could say one little army of "complete rebels".) Think they are most active on the pro-camera side as "trolls". They think it is more fun to "torment the twazaks!"

But then again - you have to "infiltrate" the enemy camp to find out what they are up to And this is one of their ideas!

Bizarre! Surreal!

Think I'll file for bankruptcy now - whilst I can afford the legal bills!

That's another thing about it. The people who will still get it free are the ones most likely to have no option but to use public transport.

If they really wanted to get cars off the school run they would be working to provide free transport for all, regardless of income or distance.