WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR ?

We, the undersigned, call on Bath & North East Somerset Council to do 3 things:

1.     Ensure that there is a seat on a suitable bus for each child of secondary school age who needs one.

2.     Re-establish the issue of home-school transport as a high priority in the council’s budget.

3.     Ensure that home-school transport becomes more reliable, safe & affordable.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM ?

The current situation facing the secondary school children of B&NS as they travel to and from school is unacceptable. The buses that they have to use are:

·       Overcrowded

Children have been left stranded at bus stops and injured onboard buses.

·       Unreliable

Buses frequently arrive late, early or don’t turn up at all. Children have waited more than 1 hour to get home. Many children resort to taking more than 1 bus on each journey, which is far more expensive.

·       Slow

Buses frequently get children to school late, resulting in parents receiving absence notifications.

·       Overpriced

Many parents pay more than £500 per year for each child’s journeys to and from school. There is currently no child-rate travelcard or season ticket available from First Buses in B&NES.

Additional information

·       Many parents end up driving their children to and from school out of desperation at the current situation.

·       B&NES has a well-documented, serious problem with traffic and pollution. We know the Council is keen to solve it. A real solution to this issue would make a significant difference to everyone in Bath.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT – IT MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE.