Transport wobble. Please talk some sense in to me.

[slightlycrumpled]

DS has gone back to his S&L school today which is the other side of the county. It's his second year there & had a fabulous taxi driver & escort last year in a nearly new very safe car. This year the LEA have given the contract to somebody else. This chap seems pleasant enough and has obviously passed all of the checks etc but the car is 17/18 years old and a bit of a banger!

I just feel so stupid to be worried but he has to travel quite a long way down some country roads and I'm concerned about when the weather is bad, snow/ ice etc. it's bad enough that he has to use transport but I did at least feel he was as safe as he could be last school year.

It all comes down to money I know, & I guess I should be grateful he has the transport but after watching all of his old mates walking down the road with their parents this morning I just want to cry. A lot.

Just a self indulgent pity moment really.

Aw, sorry. I guess it's passed their quality threshold, but 18 years old doesn't sound great. But you never know, so long as the driver is careful, for all you know he may be more careful than the last guy? Is it the same escort? Perhaps you'll get a chance for a chat and get some reassurance?

I'd be happier if I knew that he had had the car for the whole 18 years - at least you know that he looked after it - that would bode well.

Was thinking that, auntevil! If he's had it for 18 years and it's still roadworthy, that's would be a good sign.

Thanks for the replies. I have just given transport a call to see what checks etc are done and she said that this vehicle hasn't been through quality checks yet. So I am now really fed up. They are going to call back.

Yes, I guess it may have been well looked after, but one child will have to sit in the front as it doesn't have a proper third seatbelt apparently. I would be happier if it had some of the safety features of more modern vehicles. Saying that the driver was very pleasant and my little boy looked quite happy going off. It's just DH and I that are wobbly.

Thanks again.

It's not been through checks yet? So if you hadn't rung, would it ever have? Hmm. Keep on their backs, slightly.

I'm pretty sure that in our area, all taxis have to be less than 10 years old - regardless of whether or not they are carrying school children!

I can understand your concerns as we come to expect the safety standards of modern cars now even though we all piled into the back of cars without child seats/seat belts as children

Have you looked on your LA's website re registration of taxis to see if there are any regulations that this car doesn't meet? School transport dept doesn't always seem to check these things. I know there was a story in or local paper recently where a bus contract changed for a school run and the 'new' bus didn't have seat belts fitted. The parents were outraged. Not sure what the outcome was though - wasn't a school my DC are at.

Another lesson that we must never assume that the LA have done their jobs properly - or even at all.
Defo check up on the vehicle check.

I know I've gone from concerned to angry. I'll call them back in a bit if I haven't heard anything.

When I've gone to pick him up from school previously I've seen the taxis waiting and they are all just a few years old and appear to be very well looked after.

I've just got a bad feeling about it all. I do have an over active imagination though!

bigbluebus that made me smile. I have memories of driving down to Cornwall lying in the boot of my parents estate car under a duvet!

Have just checked the policy on taxi age and it states no more than eleven years old on the LA's website although it does say from July 2013. I can't find any current regulations (am on phone so tricky).

It sounds so ridiculous but today I've sent him off in a car that hasn't been properly checked with two people he's never met, and because he is even more vulnerable than a 'normal' child that's okay.

The SEN school transport system has never ceased to amaze me. We have had many 'poor' experiences over the years ranging from DD age 3 (non verbal & PMLD) not arriving home from SEN Nursery & no-one knowing where she was (regular driver was on holiday), contracts being changed (due to cost/tendering process) with no guarantees that it would be the same driver every day & no escort and more recently DD (who is now 17 & has epilepsy in addition to her other disabilities), having a 'supply' escort put on her bus who was given no more info than her name/address and the fact that she is in a wheelchair which she needs someone to push (even though I had signed consent forms for info re her condition to be shared with drivers/escorts). She travels 15 miles to school - so not as if its just around the corner!
The apparent lack of understanding of the staff responsible for arranging transport for our children is incredible.
I always turn it around and ask them if they would put their young child in a car with a complete stranger ? I think we know what the answer would be.

Ask the LA outright what their policy is on vehicle age - especially given what you have found on their website. Also suggest you ask for a copy of their risk assessment for your child's journey - if you haven't already been provided with one.
Don't give up until you are satisfied - you are the only person who will give your child's safety top priority. Good luck

Bigbluebus sounds like you've had some bad experiences. You're right, putting them in a car with strangers - in what other aspect of parenting would we do that & think that it's okay!

No phonecall back, & just rang back to switchboard when I tried to call them. Will ring again in the morning & ask for risk assessment etc. thank you. It's just rubbish sometimes.