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AIBU?

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Original poster

To send a strongly worded email to school regarding the bus service?

36 replies

Acunningruse · 04/10/2024 12:53

DS has just started in Y7 and is on a school bus service provided by the school (NOT the Council) for which we pay £1000 a year.

Not once but twice this week the bus has failed to turn up, having broken down, leaving children at the bus stop for over an hour and 15 minutes before a replacement arrived.

I am absolutely raging and probably need to tone down my first draft 🙈 but AIBU to complain to school about leaving 11 year olds unaccompanied at a busy roadside for over an hour? Not to mention lost learning time etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Acunningruse · 04/10/2024 13:14

Yes i would have loved to take my child to school myself- but as I work in a job where Im not allowed my phone on me, i was unaware what happened until lunchtime. Do people honestly think we would be paying £1000 a year if taking him myself was an option?

OP posts:
mushpush · 04/10/2024 13:14

An hour and 15 minutes isn't a huge amount of time to wait for the replacement bus - I'm not sure how quickly you expect them to get a call from the driver to find out it's broken down, contact another driver, get the replacement bus sent out and the bus to drive the route to the stop?

It sounds like the company sorted a replacement in fairly good time! The bus isn't not turning up because they can't be bothered, it's a mechanical issue.

11 year olds should be fine waiting at a bus stop for a replacement or contacting their parents to let them know surely?

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 04/10/2024 13:13

By all means write to the school so they can pass the complaint onto the bus company but leaving 11 year olds unaccompanied at a busy roadside for over an hour - is on you. If you are uncomfortable with this and there is a genuine safety risk then either you stay and wait until they get the bus or the bus stop is close enough for your child to walk home again if it doesn't turn up within a reasonable period.
Does the bus have an automated messaging service? Ours alerts if there are serious traffic delays, breakdowns or unexpected delays

whiskeyarmadillo · 04/10/2024 13:12

Did your child not ring you when the bus didn't turn up?

qualifiedazure · 04/10/2024 13:10

Bus breakdowns do happen sometimes. Did they let you know so you could have chosen to bring your child in yourself?

Beezknees · 04/10/2024 13:08

How exactly are they meant to prevent the bus from breaking down?

Don't be that person. It's annoying but what are they meant to do?

TheWernethWife · 04/10/2024 13:06

My three grandchildren used to live in rural Inverness-Shire. A bus picked them up from the side of the road to take them to the local academy. Only one day, in the middle of winter, a bus appeared and they waived, the stupid driver waived back and carried on.

Ellerby83 · 04/10/2024 12:56

I doesn't sound great but these things happen sometimes. Did the school inform you what was happening so that you could make alternative arrangements. My dcs school would email the parents.

Chillisintheair · 04/10/2024 12:54

You would need to say in your email what you want them to do differently. What is it you want them to do?

Lulu1919 · 04/10/2024 12:54

Hi
You should definitely let the school know ....although if they are late for school I assume they do know.
The company should send out a spare bus in this case..or arrange another bus company to go to the rescue.
Have the school not communicated with you ?

taxguru · 04/10/2024 12:54

YANBU. If the school are arranging it, then yes, complain to the school. It's up to them to then complain to the bus company!