It’s Time for the Council to Listen to Parents

Wendy says it’s time for Council to listen to parents following today’s defeat of a review of the cuts in school buses.

Wendy Alexander said:

“Cloth ears to the concerns of parents just fuels parents’ cynicism about councillors removing their school buses. Today’s vote was very close (19 to 17). Council officials still need to respond to parent’s real fears.

“I am calling on the Convener of Education and the Direction of Education to meet ASAP with the Chairs of all the affected parents’ councils.

“Where there is a will there is a way. The council could agree to the contract for new bus services on these routes. The council should be willing to run the tendering process to ensure each route is covered and we do not add further to congestion of Renfrewshire road by hundreds of extra parents crowding onto our roads from August.

“It is not reasonable to expect every affected child to go on a normal bus service. I have the case of a constituent in Ferguslie with 2 children at St. Benedict’s who will have to fork out £71 per month for 2 zonecards (£35.80 each child) from August. Quite simply she could not afford the cost.

“I have a second mum who is disabled as so cannot drive her kids. She tells me:

“I became partially sighted and disabled in 2005 and had to surrender my drivers licence. Since then I get about using the buses, walking when they don’t appear, and taxis (I bite the bullet and pay up or I’d never go anywhere) so I appreciate, probably more than the councillors appear to (I only see my local councillor in her car) what the kids would be exposed to on a daily basis i.e. carrying bags, getting drenched and cold, missing buses, if indeed they run at all.”

“This issue will not go away”, said Wendy.