Free Bikes Instead of School Bus (long)

The Nottingham local rag carries the article, below.

The interesting paras say

"Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.

Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals, questioning
whether the children would be safe cycling or catching a public bus to
and from school."

Seems a pretty good idea to me. On the one hand it encourages cycling
(which can never be bad) and on the other it moves the money for buses
into mainstream public buses rather than dedicated school runs.

There are, of course, the usual horrified cries of "cycling! you mean
you want us to murder our children". And outrage at children actually
having to find out what their legs are for.

Full article:

Nottingham's school buses could be axed to save money. The city
council is considering ditching them in favour of pupil bus passes and
cycling to school. But where will it leave the children and how safe
will they be? STEPHANIE BUNGAY reports

School buses have been in use across the country for 60 years,
providing a reassuring service delivering children right to the
schoolgates and back home at night.

Parents have been able to relax in the knowledge their children are
dropped off and picked up safely each day, and that they are excused
the dreaded school run.

But in Nottingham, school buses might soon be a thing of the past.

The city council says they cost too much to run. The bill this year is
£2.8m, £800,000 over budget.

It wants to scrap the service, saving £600,000 a year that could be
ploughed back into education.

Under plans being considered by the council, pupils - both primary and
secondary - would instead either be given bus passes or free bikes.

The council's preferred option is to buy youngsters from the age of
nine bikes, the cost of which would be capped. The bikes would then be
returned when the child left school.

Parents and pupils would get to chose bus pass or bike.

Many schools and parents are horrified at the proposals, questioning
whether the children would be safe cycling or catching a public bus to
and from school.

But Coun Graham Chapman, cabinet member for education, said: "Of
course there are going to be people out there who don't like this;
people who say they are going to be worse off or that their kids will
be in danger.

"But what people have to understand is we need to do this. We are
spending too much on our school buses. There is an over-provision."

There are currently 20 school buses carrying 700 pupils attending 15
schools. Of those, 500 are not even entitled to free school transport
and could lose out under the proposals.

A further 1,000 pupils travel by bus using a pass paid for by the
council, though 400 of those are not legally entitled to them and also
could lose out.

Coun Chapman said it was yet to decided whether those pupils not
legally entitled to free transport but who get in anyway would lose it
should the changes be introduced.

He added: "It costs us over £1,000 per pupil a year on a school bus. A
bus pass for the year costs £190. That is a significant saving which
we can put into education in the areas we want."

Free school transport was introduced after the 1944 Education Act
entered the statute books, making it a legal responsibility that
parents made sure their children went to school - and some parents
complained they lived too far from their nearest school.

It is enshrined in law for primary youngsters who live more than two
miles from their local school and secondary pupils who live more than
three miles away.

The council said that the bill for providing school buses had
spiralled since it took over control of education in the city from the
county council in 1998 because of higher fuel costs. The cost is
expected to rise by a further 25% to 30% this year.

Many of the buses are travelling to and from schools half empty.

A council spokesman said: "We had to put a halt to that. It just could
not go on."

But what about the safety of the children and impact on adult bus
users?

Head teachers contacted by the Post were concerned about the plans.

Mike McKeever, deputy head at Trinity School, Aspley, said: "Getting
all our pupils to use public transport would not be acceptable to us
at all.

"To even consider it there would have to be significant improvements
in the provision. I would imagine all the schools would agree with
that."

Mr McKeever added: "Can you imagine large groups of children all
having to walk to one bus stop from different schools?

"We have no problem with our pupils on public buses, but it is not the
same for other schools and there could be all sorts of trouble."

Steve Clarke, schools transport project manager for the council, said:
"I don't forsee us having massive problems. The majority of youngsters
who already get on public transport are well-behaved. Yes, they are
boisterous, but that is all and most people appreciate that."

But he said the council would consider city-centre patrols to make
sure children were getting on buses safely and behaving themselves.

Head of St Patrick's Catholic Primary, Wilford, Nick Benzie said that
he would prefer that school bus service was kept running.

"The good thing about school buses is that they pick children up from
the school gates and drop them off there," he said.

Mr McKeever said he was also concerned about the free bike scheme.
There had already been a number of bikes stolen at his school - but
his biggest worry was safety.

"We just don't have the infrastructure for this. There are no proper
safety routes and we would have children having to take the A610.

"It would be dangerous for many children. We need to look at this
sensibly and think of the safety."

The changes have been drawn up in three stages.

Stage one, which will happen, starts this September, when the number
of school buses will be cut from 20 to 14. The remaining 14 buses will
be changed from double to single deckers.

Stage two, only under consideration, would be to persuade Nottingham
City Transport to put more buses on routes serving schools in the
morning and at going home time.

Barrie Burch, head of NCT, said: "I really can't say what we are going
to do. I have just spoken with the council and need to consider all
the implications.

"This is a serious issue. We can't just put a bus on. They cost over
£100,000 and we need to make sure it will be used."

Coun Chapman said: "Stage three would be getting rid of school buses
and issuing bus passes instead and giving out free bikes.

"I like the bikes option. Children need to keep fit and this would be
a great way of doing that."

The council says that though it is considering the stages two and
three changes, nothing is set in stone. But Mr Chapman said that if
they were approved everything would hopefully be in place by September
next year.

Coun Chapman said the council would keep to guidelines set by the
Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents restricting the free bikes to
children over nine, and all safety issues would be considered.

A spokesman for the RoSPA said: "A bike scheme can have a lot of
positive benefits but everything must be done correctly and all the
road safety issues have to be in place. There needs to be safe,
dedicated cycle routes. That is going to be the real test."

On that, Coun Chapman said: "We would look at cycle routes and that is
something we would introduce by working with the schools.

"We would also have to look at providing helmets and reflective pads."

Under the plans children would be given security locks and bike sheds
would be built at schools.

The council is also to appoint a transport plan co-ordinator to work
with schools.

Road safety groups have urged the council to consider pupils' safety.

Simon Collister, from Brake, a road safety charity, which works to
reduce death and injuries on roads, said: "School buses pick up
children at school gates. If these changes mean pupils, particularly
younger ones, had to walk or cross roads to get a bus, it is worrying.

"We would want to make sure that there were proper road safety lessons
for all students

"And we would also press for all roads around schools be a 20mph
zone."

School bus changes: Stage one

From September, the number of school buses serving 15 primary and
secondary schools in Nottingham will be cut from 20 to 14.

The cuts will see:


Two double-decker buses serving St Augustine's Catholic Primary,
Mapperley, reduced to two single deckers


Two double deckers serving Elliot Durham Comprehensive, Mapperley,
replaced by one double decker


Two single deckers serving Bramcote Park Comprehensive and Alderman
White Comprehensive cut to one single decker


Two double deckers serving St Patrick's Catholic Primary and South
Wilford Primary, both Wilford, reduced to two single deckers


Three double deckers serving Bluecoat Comprehensive, Manning
Comprehensive and Trinity School, Aspley, replaced by three single
deckers


Two single deckers serving Emmanuel School, Wilford, replaced by one
double decker


Two double deckers serving St Margaret Clitherow, Bestwood Park,
replaced by one double decker


A double decker serving St Teresa's, Aspley, replaced by a single
decker


A double decker serving St Edwards, St Ann's, replaced by a single
decker


A double decker serving Christ the King, Arnold, replaced by a single
decker


Two buses serving Fairham College, Clifton, axed altogether.

Pointing out potential problems

The council certainly has its work cut out to win over parents and
pupils going by those the Post talked to.

While school buses are expensive, most people think they are the best
option.

Lewis Slater, 15, from Wollaton, rides to school, but he does not
think it is for everyone.

"The good thing about a school bus is it takes you to your home. If
you live far from school you can't get a bike or public transport. It
is too inconvenient. I also think it could lead to fights between
pupils from different schools, and there would be more bullying."

Charlotte Howldsworth, 14, from Bilborough, walks to school. She said:
"I would rather walk than use a bike because I wear a skirt. I don't
think the plans are good at all. If you live far away it is going to
make it difficult to get to school.

"It is not going to be safe for pupils and there will be trouble. You
are better getting on just with kids from your school."

Jennifer Cairney, a mother-of-six from Arnold, said: "I'd like to see
something like the US system of yellow buses dropping kids off at the
end of their streets. My three eldest are having to walk about two
miles to school because there isn't a bus to take them.

"I think it's silly getting kids that young to go on public transport.
What do they do if there's no room on the bus?

"If kids were given bikes most of them would have to go on major roads
and I certainly wouldn't be happy with mine riding on them."

Naran Rathod, parent/governor at Manning School, Aspley, whose
daughter uses public transport to get to school, said: "I think
getting secondary youngsters to use public transport would work, but I
don't think it would be appropriate for primary pupils.

"I really don't think the bikes idea would be good. Road congestion
would put pupils at significant risk.

"There would also have to be an extensive system of cycle tracks to
provide a safe way to school.

"But there are parts of the city which are not adequate or built for
that. This should not be for all schools or all pupils, because there
will be some who physically can't use bikes."