General Chat

Hi KenSE

Just a case of putting two and two together and making five.

Isn't that we do on here!

In our area the local councils stopped supporting some of the few rural buses. Someone bought a small bus and started picking up children for one of the local schools (all secondary schools here have catchments that require most to travel by car or special buses). That bus was such a success (and boy was it expensive to send the kids to school) that they were able to start buying a few more buses and now we have a regular service. But if we wish to be in town after six - then it is back to taking the car.

We are luckier than some.

I have 3 grandchildren that go to school near me from 6 miles away.
Only school that was near where they live and not in a rural area.
I am on the outskirts of Leeds.

My son in law has to pay out £30 a month for a pass for each of them then the bus fare on top of that there and back on a night.

That is over a £100 a month for just 3 then he has to catch the bus with the other two which costs another roughly £25 to go another 3 miles the other way to a Primary school until they move up to secondary school.

So for him the free bus pass for the children would be good.

A free school bus pass is one thing - but free anytime travel is another!

I am talking about a Free bus pass just to get to school not for travel anywhere.

Some parents drive their children to school because they have to go on to work afterwards. Employers wouldn't be too impressed if they were late and they can't drop the children off any earlier because it's not allowed.

I agree with ChAoTicTheory, I used to drop my children off at primary school on my way to work, it would have been unmanageable otherwise.

At secondary school / sixth form it was down to the reliability of the buses. My daughters used to walk a mile in the opposite direction to school in order to be able to get a place on a bus, as at our local stop the buses from 8.15 onwards were at full capacity and sailed by, the only time there was any room on the buses was after 9, well past school start time. Sixth form was 17 miles away, one bus per hour. The bus went 15 minutes early as well as 15 minutes late. I can't count the number of times I've been in my dressing gown and slippers with scruffy morning hair at 7.30 a.m. driving to catch up the bus or taking daughter straight there. Not a pretty sight :-D

Rant over on public transport, I agree that some parents could and should walk their children to school, parking restrictions should be strictly observed otherwise

Back to wisechild's opening post - I don't think any concessions should be taken away from pensioners

Public transport to school - what's that!

It's almost all special services here - there is no public bus service to the catchment secondary school. There are almost no footpaths, no street lighting and a fast stretch of road.

We are definitely spoilt in London including greater London

Free bus/train passes for under 16 plus special rate for students under 18 has been the norm for yonks.

Bit of a nightmare travelling bus or tube 3.30pm until about 5pm with the noisy kids but one can live with it.

Never gave it a thought what happens in other parts of the country. Low income families, when they have several kid, must be expensive travelling anywhere.

I enjoy going out around London with my grandchildren - just wonder how much it would cost from their house to mine return - 2 hour journey each way - if it wasn't free. :-0

The only time I got a free bus pass was when my parents decided to move 20+ miles from my school 3 months before I was due to leave. Bus pass to train station 3 miles away and season ticket on train to Romford...I then had to get at least one more bus which had to be paid for and this was in Greater London...