Mum’s fury over bus rejection
Millburn Academy in Inverness
A CITY bus firm is moving quickly to allay parents’ worries after it has been claimed a number of children were thrown off a school bus because it was too crowded.
The children who were heading from the Millburn Academy to Wester Inshes and Milton of Leys had to walk home in stormy weather last Thursday.
But whilst Stagecoach deny the children were thrown off the bus and saying they were instead "unable to board", a spokesperson has confirmed the firm is hoping to lay on another bus for pupils travelling from the Wester Inshes and Milton of Leys areas.
The Highland News was contacted by an angry mum from Wester Inshes who said her son had arrived home "soaked to the skin" after being told to get off the bus by the driver.
She said: "The number four bus is a public service, but in the morning and at the end of school day, it drops off and picks up pupils from Millburn as well. This happened last Thursday when we had all the storms. My son came home drenched. He said they had gotten on the bus, but then the driver told anyone only going as far as Wester Inshes and Milton of Leys to get off and walk. They were left standing there. My son has said the bus wasn’t crowded."
She added: "The next day there was someone out from Stagecoach visiting the school and monitoring what was going on and I spoke to them and they have said they are looking at the possibility of putting on another bus. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but at least they are looking at a solution."
A spokesperson for Stagecoach in the Highlands said: "At present through the current contract with Highland Council, route four is allocated to accept around 70 of the school concessionary passes and the remaining seats can be used by the public or children who may not hold the concessionary passes and therefore do not normally use the service.
"Last week we suffered from overcrowding on the route and some passengers at Millburn Academy were unable to board. Since this issue we have been monitoring the situation and have devised a possible solution utilising the resources available on other routes to also pick up at Millburn Academy.
"This suggestion will be fully discussed with the Highland Council for approval to commence as soon as possible."
Last December bosses at Stagecoach altered the timetable for bus services around the city.
A major shake-up was promised earlier in 2010 by the under-fire transport firm by incoming managing director Steve Walker and a new timetable was introduced in November.
However, within days of its implementation there were complaints from customers about some of the changes and how they affected commuters from Westhill, Inshes, Culloden, Smithton and other parts of the city.
Customers in Ross-shire also complained about the changes.
But again, the firm acted on the feedback and revisions affecting services 2, 3, 4, 5 and 26 were put in place.
