Free school transport

[Sheldonsheher]

Curious someone from my daughter’s class gets free school bus to and from school. They live 1.5 miles down a country road so not that far buy not safe to walk. Does this really qualify you for council transport. I mean if you choose to live somewhere unsuitable for a child to walk should you not have to drive them yourself. Everyone else including myself have to do the school run every day and surely this is something the parents should be responsible for when they choose where they are going to live.

My DDs got free school transport as they were Forces children who had no choice where they lived and the nearest school with space could ve miles away. If it was under 2 miles, we didn't get transport.

Nothing to be jealous about though...boo you really want to wave your 4yo off on on a bus each day, and never see her teacher? Or have your 8yo expected to leave school, cross the road and walk down it to try to find her taxi driver by herself? Both scenarios we faced

But surely most of the village being bussed on masse chose to live there? What's the difference?

Ds is entitled to the free bus for his school because he is in the nearest one that can meet his needs. At the moment we don't use the bus because Dh is able to take him to school but once all 3 boys start school we will have no choice but to use the bus has they will be in 3 different schools.

I wouldn’t feel jealous of the free transport. I’ve put a just turned 4 year old on a school bus on her first day at school. We’ve waited in the howling wind and pouring rain at the end of a farm track for buses that didn’t come. And then had to wait ages for the replacement bus to arrive after a few phone calls to find out what’s wrong. I’ve stood at the end of the track at home time for buses that haven’t arrived starting to worry where my children are.
I rarely see the teachers or other parents.
The major advantage is it does save me over 100 miles of diesel every week. But it is as time consuming as the school run because it’s not door to door. We live at the end of a long track.

Completely agree OP.

My view is that it is the parents’ responsibility to get their children to school, part of the cost of having children, why should the tax payer pay for it?

I di agree there are a handful of exceptions but, in the main, it is the parents’ responsibility.

That’s why the vast majority of children don’t get transport.

Why should the taxpayer pay to get other people’s children to school?

Do you think the vast majority of children should get free transport? If so, why?

Most don't HTH.

I was just responding to the previous poster. Their message came across (to me anyway) that it was a bad thing that most children don’t get free transport. I was just curious as to why people think that they should

Because as you said there are certain exceptions and circumstances where it’s necessary.

Yes I agree with that. But I don’t agree with people thinking they are entitled to it, just because they live a certain distance away etc Which I appreciate you weren’t implying, sorry I skim read your message.

it is topical as I was reading a chain on FB earlier where someone was complaining about the cost of bus passes and how expensive it was because they had 4 children, stating that parents should not have to pay for transport to get children to school. That is what I disagree with.

I can see an argument for at least free bus passes etc to encourage people to use buses when possible rather than cars which would help reduce how crazy it can get with traffic and parking around schools at pick up/drop off times and make it safer for the children.

But why should the bus passes be free?

Paying for a bus passes for a child would still alleviate the problems you mention

Its sort of ironic for a poster who would appear to be in London, where U16s get free buses complain about children in other parts of the country getting free transport...

There isn't a public bus service connecting all the villages in our school catchment zone with the school. So yes, there is a school bus. A lot more efficient than them all be driven by a parent.

Are you talking about me or pp? If me, I haven't complained about it at all.

I think school buses are a great idea, especially when public buses aren't available and it should absolutely be free. I agree it's far more efficient than everyone driving.

If you are talking about me I don’t live in London

Am asking purely out of curiosity, not to be argumentative, why do you think they should be free?

If public buses aren't available, it will be the most efficient way for the children to get to school. Makes sense to me that it's free so every child has the option.

Even with public buses, children have to go to school so I'm not against children getting free bus passes for school.

Why are you so against it?

Because I don’t think people, whether they are parents or not, should have to pay to get other people’s children to school.

I agree with all the practical points about efficiency of using buses but don’t understand why people think they should get it for free.

You mention every child should get free bus passes. So if people have, for example, 5 children, you think it is for the rest of the taxpayers to pay to get them to school? Why? Why is it not the parents’ responsibility?

I can think of far many more things I'd rather not pay for. Children getting to school wouldn't even make my top 50 list.

I've already explained why including that it would also be beneficial to the areas near schools with having less cars on the road, less traffic and less pollution which is all beneficial for the children.

Most people don't have 5 children but if they did, yes, would be a bit odd saying school bus for you and you but not you child 3, 4 and 5.

Everyone will have different opinions on what the would/would rather not pay for but this thread is specifically talking about school buses.

I have already said a few times that I can see the practical benefits of using buses rather than lots of cars but I don’t see why that translates into the buses should be free?

obviously the no 5 was just an example. But you are missing the point. The point isn’t whether there should be a bus for 1,2,3,4,5….. children. The point is ‘why do you expect other people to pay for it for you?’

That way of thinking……if I have 1 or 3 or 5 children then other tax payers should pay to get them to school represents one of the hundreds of things that are wrong with this country, in my opinion.

It is the same principle that should apply to everything in life…. have what you can afford.

have as many children as you want but, if you can’t afford to pay the cost of raising them, don’t expect others to pay for you

My kids got free transport to secondary school because we were living in an area with no pavements. There was a walking route through fields and woods but it was not safe due to the fact that it would have been dark for much of the year while they were walking.

OP, local authorities have a statutory responsibility to ensure children can get to school. There is an expectation that secondary school children get themselves to school and primary school children are accompanied by their parents.

I spent 6 months arguing my case with our LA. They kept on telling me that they only provided transport for children with disabilities. They caved in when I quoted the law from the government website - which I'm sure they knew all along.