Threat to Local School Buses

9.32.00pm GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

Buses serving local schools may be axed by Surrey County Council

Surrey Heath's Liberal Democrat Councillors have condemned the County Councils 'shot gun' consultation on planned changes to Special Bus Routes serving local schools.Special Bus services are public services which are run by the Council to facilitate transport to school by students.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have several grounds for objecting to the proposals, as follows:

1. Parents will be left in many cases with no alternative but to drive their children to school - in some cases many miles, which will add to traffic congestion and increase carbon emissions - both impacts being contrary to the County Councils Green Agenda.

2. The removal of these services will cause significant hardship to less well-off parents, and will increase social exclusion. Not all parents have access to their own transport.

3. The removal of these services will impact those parents who currently work - and may prevent them form taking a child to school.

Special Bus services contribute some 9% of the overall £11m that Surrey County Council spends annually on subsidised bus services. As part of a general review of such services to reduce costs, the cost effectiveness of the Special Bus services are being looked at. 29 services are being looked in Phase 1 of the review, and the results would take effect from September 2010.

Surrey Heath is in Phase 2 of the review, the results of which would take effect from September 2011. Of particular concern in Surrey Heath are the proposals to terminate services serving Collingwood College (services 83, 84, 85 and 87) and Kings International College (services 89 and 90).

The Liberal Democrat Councillors have urged the County Council to abandon this short-sighted, ill-conceived and potentially very damaging review.