School Bus Full - Safeguarding issue?

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This has happened a few times now.

Used to be x2 school buses, now consolidated into x1.

Basically its a full capacity bus, x70 seats (larger bus) all full.

Usual driver ill. Wrong bus arrives (smaller capacity) - not enough seats... a handful of children have to get off the bus, as there are upto x10 seats short...

My son is the last pickup bus stop, one of the last kids to board the bus. Totally reliant on older kids getting off so he gets a seat. He is 12. Normally, we are both on our way to work at this time of the morning.

The reason we are paying £100 a month is for peace of mindd that he is getting to school and back. Surely this is a serious safeguarding issue?

In my area this would be considered a safeguarding issue. There would also be no possibility of students getting off the bus and walking to school. The buses exist because the distances are far or because there is an obstacle between the school and home that is not suitable for pedestrians. The bus company would bring in a second bus to split the route for the day if it had a breakdown or worst case scenario, text everyone about a delay and have the driver do the route in two parts.

Is this a public bus kids can get on or a school bus, and if the latter, who provides the transport, school or LA? If the latter, the bus company needs to provide a vehicle of the right size. Drivers shortages are understandable but the company should have enough vehicles the right size or be able to hire one in as a contingency as part of their acceptance to be a school bus.

Or as Blossom says, use two vehicles or do two runs.

I would say it is a safeguarding issue but it is YOUR safeguarding issue. Up to you to make alternative arrangements (and request recompense for a poor service.)

It is normal in our county (superselective grammars) for kids to criss-cross the county on buses to grammar school. The bus companies are independent and the schools aren’t. Hardly any kids would get public buses or have backup routes - they’d phone a parent if the bus didn’t turn up. OP isn’t unreasonable for using this sort of bus service and if a younger child was left isolated in the dark there could be a safety issue.