Getting year 7s to school. Is this unusual?

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So dd started year 7 today. One of her closest friends got in the same school. We have made plenty of practice runs with buses over the holidays so she did really well getting there and back today. Anyways mum of the Friend has made is clear under no circumstances can dd friend make her on way to school with my dd or on her own. She just can't face letting her dd go . It's absolutely her choice but I just wondered how common is this ? The parents are very over protective. The bus journey is around 15 mins and they are have phones.

v unusual in SW london.

if they're worried get a phone with a tracker. "find my iphone" keeps me sane.

then again dd does get a lift to/from school a couple of times a week. if she is knackered or has a lot to carry or a late finish or if we are just feeling like it.

no one honestly cares. a lift is not like they are being accompanied on the bus/train/walk by mummy. that would be social suicide.

Round here, anything goes. There are kids on school buses, public buses, walking, cycling, getting lifts. Each to their own. Although when I walked DS to the bus stop for the first time I had to pretend I actually just happened to be going the same way and carry on to the post office and buy something I didn't need

(he walks by himself now so luckily I have escaped a scratch card addiction)

Oh thank god for find my iPhone ! Dd is doing really well with the buses now. No more mishaps !
I understand picking up for medical needs or if parents work close by etc.
Poor mum is working late into the evening now at home to make up for the hours lost due to the school run.

If a parent is doing it for the sake of the child (for various reasons) then fair enough.

If a parent is doing it for their own sake...very unhealthy.

DD made a new friend at secondary school. Every morning, her friend's Mum gets up before her DD to run a bath for her, lay out her uniform, pack her school bag for her and cook her breakfast...

Whereas, I...don't (ahem).

Had a coffee with the Mum, once. Only once. She confided that she missed her DD desperately while she was at school, and counted the moments until she got home.

I think that is a terrible burden to lay on a child (yes, her poor DD is aware).

We drop off and pick up our dd. We live in a rural area so the school bus journey would add a lot of time onto her day, she would have to get up considerably earlier etc. And we also have to drop off DD2 at a school ten mins from DD1, so it isn't difficult to do both.