DD alone on bus. What age?

[SimplyTheBus]

DD (10) currently goes to a sports club 430-6pm. We take the bus straight from school, she's a few minutes late; home at 7.
She has just been asked to join the older group which runs 6-730pm. We can make this, but it will be very tedious for me and DS.
DD finishes school at 4. Get bus at 510, arrive at club at 535 (or 542 if we miss the connection).DS and I get 555, be home at 630pm.

i.e. we'll be out 5pm-630pm just to drop her at her club.

I'm wondering what age you'd allow your DD to travel across a city alone. Trip is 10 minutes regional bus into city main station, walk across the front of the train station to one of the stops of the city bus, (potentially an 8 minute wait) 16 minutes on the city bus, 2 minute walk to the clubhouse.
She would be quite early, but she has the code to the clubhouse and there will be people around (I.e. the group she's in now).
She would have a phone.
4 stops further than where she needs to get off, the red light district starts...

I don't let my 15 yo do that in the dark.

No, just no. Far too young

Year 7 can the head of the club help or another parent help and you pay?

My 10 year old wouldn't be happy to get a bus alone, he's only just started walking to/from school alone. I might be willing if he was and it was a direct route, but not in the dark.

My ds (as well as lots of his friends) were getting buses (3 per trip) home from school in year 7- so some age 11.

10 sounds young but it depends on the area, maturity of child, how close to 11 etc

Its up to you but I would practice first if you decide to go ahead.

Not a chance. Far too young. Especially in the dark.

Not anytime soon at 10!

maybe 14-15

Once it is light again, then maybe you could go to the city centre with her and see her on to the second bus. Then you and DD could head home.

I assume someone is picking her up?

Laughing at 14-15 though- really?! They should have this kind of independence well before then- unless living in a really dodgy area

My ds (as well as lots of his friends) were getting buses (3 per trip) home from school in year 7- so some age 11

Were they doing it alone though in the dark cider?

The walk at the end in the dark alone would bother me.

Well it’s dark now at 4.30 so yes but in cities/towns so well lit and busy.

no to this journey at 10, too young.

Secondary School age I would think was fine. My dc are away with the fairies so if your child is more on it I think it would be fine.

No I was waiting for the bus today for 20 mins and it didn’t come wouldn’t be nice for a 10 year old alone in the dark, turned out
there had been a crash so the buses were diverted and weren’t coming at all, you expect a 10 year old to deal with that?

Well it’s dark now at 4.30 so yes but in cities/towns so well lit and busy

Perhaps I'm just biased as our DD's club is about the same 2 minute from the bus but it's in a sketchy area and you often feel unsafe in the day.

One bus there and back I would say no problem but the stop over at the bus station is a no at that age.

I wouldn’t be happy about dark country lanes but busy towns yeah fine as long as they know how to cross roads, where to wait, what to do if something doesn’t go to plan

These are life skills.
10 and in year 5 is young.
10 but nearly 11 and year 6, maybe depending on maturity and area

In London it’s pretty normal for secondary age to take themselves to school on the bus or train and that does means coming home in the dark in winter. I’d potentially be worried about the stopover at the bus station. But you know your child and the safety of the area better than anyone here.

I would think maybe 11-12 but then mine are younger so goodness knows how I will feel about it when they are older!

I wouldn’t let my 11 year old son. Maybe at about 13/14

High School for that kind of journey at the earliest

My 11 year old gets the bus by himself, but I wouldn’t let him do this journey alone. The change of buses in a city centre and everything being in the dark is too much. Far too easy to end up on the wrong bus and in a strange part of the city in the dark.

Oh, varied responses. Interesting!

So, I said to DD that I would see if it was possible, talk to DH etc. but that if she did want to go to this group then we would have to work towards her getting there alone once the evenings get lighter again. She will be 11 by then. I don't know any of the parents of this later group, it's the U14-U20's and they all seem to turn up alone. DD was a bit shocked and surprised, but she doesn't go anywhere alone yet apart from to school or the shop.

@SpinningFloppa I'd expect her to call me if there was a problem.

I'd compromise on taking her to the bus station and seeing her onto the second bus at first. I presume someone will pick her up?

My 11yo walks 15 minutes to her club at 6pm. She started in the summer, and we haven't seen a reason to stop. I pick her up at 8pm though.

I'd be more concerned about her doing sport with 14-20yos... usually the age split is safety related!