Anybody else thinking of driving their secondary school kids instead of using the school bus?

[Parfa1t]

Going back and forth.

Will be a major pita driving them however case against-our bus fares are £££, we could get bubble infections and end up off school having paid for it. No social distancing on the buses so higher likelihood of teens getting it. Not keen on my teens getting it. We would save money.

Case for stumping up the cash- less stress and better for the environment.

😩What are others doing?

Sending them on the bus. Because I can't do my job and do school runs.

Does it have to be an either/or situation? Could you drive for first few weeks and see how it goes? Or drive some days, do bus some days? I'll be driving at first partly due to zero social distancing on bus, but it's not inconvenient or unusual for me to give DC a lift anyway. Depends on how much of a pita it is for you!

I did think about this, but we either have to pay for the bus for the whole term or lose our place on it. School is a fair distance from home, so I don't want to be stuck driving DS for the next 3-4 years, plus it doesn't work with either of our work situations. We've paid and we've told him he'll have to wear a mask and anti-bac his hands the minute he gets off. I think this is a case of having to learn to live with the risks rather than trying to avoid the risks 100%.

we will have to drive one of our dc because they normally get on the bus halfway through the route and with the lesser numbers allowed it will already be full.

I'll be driving dd certainly in the first instance. She'd have to get on a packed (and I mean packed) tram which is full to bursting as it is when she gets on a few stops down the line.

I will save £50 a month though...!

By driving you'll be cluttering up the roads for people whose DC have to take the school bus or public transport - don't do it.

Our school buses are going to have seating plans - they'll sit in year groups (maybe they'll put siblings at the front/back of their year groups), and loading/unloading at school will be by year group. I don't think they've thought about the home end, though, where they'll be loading/unloading by geography!

One DS walks and the other DS is driven simply because his schools is next to a great dog walking park. Both boys make their own way home.

I will be dropping and picking my 2 dds and my oldest will be getting the bus

It would save us £100 a month and would be safer for the dc but the stress!!!!! And the green issue.😩

Is it close enough to go by bike? Green, healthy from a Covid perspective, plus extra exercise. Books can go in panniers.

I have 2 kids who get public transport to different areas at different times and we both work too.

Therefore, they will have to get public transport.

No it’s 20 miles with a dual carriageway.

My ds can walk but if his bag is particularly heavy, weather bad, I give him a lift...unfortunately, the local council in their wisdom has closed the roads off near us so you can only use main roads which will be a nightmare. What a brilliant idea in a sodding pandemic.

London buses aren't expected to be back to full capacity by September so school have sent out an email asking students to walk, cycle or get a lift where possible. We live too far for walking so it looks like I'll have to drive him, we live mid bus route as well so the buses will be full by the time he has to try and get on.

Took my Dd from Feb to when schools closed, didn’t want to risk buses. Left school now so no problem September.

We are compromising and doing car to a closer location then walk the remaining on dry days.

Those of you driving where bus/bike is not a possibility, can you maybe drop your DC off a mile or so away? Then they will get some exercise and you won't be causing congestion at school.

We live near a secondary school, which is great, but I am always amazed at the numbers of cars at 8.45am and 3pm. Why fight for a space, park across drives, park on the bus stop, when they could wait calmly a few streets away?

@clary that’s what I’m planning to do, we worked it out and if I drop him at a certain place he will still have around a 15 minute walk to school. No way am I dropping him at the gates it will be chaos!!

Yes Clary we will choose to do that as it is madness to try and drop near the school, we will drive dd to the town in question and she can walk the last 15 mins.

Bike would be downright dangerous where we live in London.