Save Our Buses!

Commissioner for Children and Young People Speaks Out

2006-10-21T09:43:00.000+00:00

The recent article on the East Renfrewshire Council website and Evening Times article would suggest that Kathleen Marshall dismissed parent's concerns and even supported the decision to end free buses for Primary School Children living less than 3 miles from schools.

This is what she had to say herself about the recent decision in a letter to the Evening Times:

“I was disappointed to read the way in which my assessment of the school bus issue in East Renfrewshire was presented. I have not “backed” the Council. There are some decisions that fall within the discretion of the Council as the democratically elected body for that area. My role is not to usurp that function, but to highlight situations in which children’s rights under national and international law have been breached. From the information given to me, it did not seem to have been the case here. That does not mean that this is the best possible decision, nor that I approve of it. I have merely recognised that it is their right to make it. Parents and other concerned persons in the community have every right to pursue the matter further with their elected representatives if they feel the Council have made the wrong decision.” - Published with kind permission of Kathleen Marshall

Cllr. Devlin forces Council U Turn

2006-08-21T16:23:00.000+00:00

Cllr. Devlin has successfully forced a Council U Turn for all Primary School pupils who live in the Lochlibo Road area. Due to the alarm at the prospect of Primary Schools pupils having to cross the dangerous road at the Dalmeny Park Hotel, he attempted to verify the Council's statement that all proper safety assessments had been carried out. It turned out that the appropriate departments,people and bodies (such as the Roads Department) had NOT been consulted on the matter at all.
This turn of events casts severe doubt on the Council's assertion that all the roads where pupils will be affected have been assessed correctly. Safety First have written to the Council asking them to suspend their plans for all areas until all such appropriate safety measures have been actioned.
In response to the safety issue at Lochlibo road the free bus service has been re-instated.

Credibility Lost

2006-08-15T22:13:00.000+00:00

What follows is the incredible letter sent to the Scottish Parliament Education committee from none other than Mhairi Shaw in 2005. It shatters all the Council's arguments in their own words highlighting the current ridiculous state of affairs.

With regard to the continued use of the two and three mile walking distance, this authority has for many years operated to a one mile threshold in respect of all primary school pupils, and from 1998 has operated a three mile threshold in respect of secondary school pupils. This policy currently affords an additional 1500 primary school pupils, in general terms, a facility which they would otherwise not enjoy, at an additional cost to the authority of some £350,000 annually in comparison to the legal obligation in respect of the two and three mile thresholds.

It is the authority's view that in some instances a return to statutory provision only might encourage some pupils who have until now enjoyed a free transport facility, to walk to school. With such an increase there may however be a knock on increase in risk to pupils who would thus be exposed to the dangers of traffic at crossing points, for example. Further, it is thought more likely that the vast majority of pupils, particularly in an area where car ownership is comparatively high, are likely to be added to "school run" statistics, where parents drop them off at school and return for them in the afternoon. Within such a scenario it is therefore felt that in terms of congestion, pollution and increased risk to pupils resulting from greatly increased car usage in and around schools, the net outcome would be detrimental to them. Indeed, it could be argued that a reduction in the walking distance thresholds, with the requisite resources provided to local authorities to fund additional vehicles, would allow for a safer environment to pupils travelling to school on a daily basis either by walking or travelling by school transport, by substantially reducing the volume of vehicles in and around schools while reducing pollution from car emissions simultaneously.

I trust you will find these views helpful and thank you on
behalf of the Director for the opportunity to comment.

Yours
sincerely,
Mhairi Shaw
(Acting) Head of Service
(Curriculum & Policy Development)

In the News

2006-06-02T11:50:00.000+00:00

The Evening Times covered the protest on Wednesday. You can read it here.

Well done to all those who came along, the voices had obviously been tuned up before the event! Enthusiastic as always, especially the kids. A big thanks to all those standing against the cut in Wardens and the free buses. A peaceful demonstration heard by the Council whether they wanted to hear it or not!

Own Goal

2006-06-02T11:45:00.000+00:00

The (Acting) Head of Service (Curriculum and Policy Development) , a year ago, quite clearly stated that East Renfrewshire Authority's view was that a return to statutory provision of free School Bus services would be detrimental to pupils' safety.
See here (page 29 - last paragraph).

She conceded that a return to the car run would be inevitable which would only add to the pupils risk around schools as well as adding congestion to roads and pollution. Do these arguments seem familiar? Are all these routes now somehow safe? How can that be without consultation from Police or having carried out a risk assessment to re-evaluate them?

It has been stated that buses are not being withdrawn. The free buses that have been available on the grounds of safety are being withdrawn and being replaced by a pay bus which is being actively promoted. How can the Council rebuff their own pupil safety arguments made only last May? The safety conditions around roads and Schools in East Renfrewshire have not improved since then.

A staggering own goal! - Gerry O'Hara

Council Meeting Wed 31st May 6:30pm

2006-05-22T12:00:00.000+00:00

There is to be another Council Meeting on Wednesday the 31st of May at Eastwood Park in the building immediately to your right as you enter the park at 6:30pm.
Again many parents intend to be there to highlight the overwhelming objections to this cut.

The Council have called in the press for us to stop protesting - it must be working.

Sunday Times Sets the Record Straight

2006-05-21T15:55:00.000+00:00

The Sunday Times covered our campaign today. Read it at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2190445,00.html

Ask for a Safety Assessment

2006-05-12T22:51:00.000+00:00

To arrange such an assessment contact Bill Elliot, Principal Officer (Transport & Provision) here. Why?

The Council kicked off a project to promote safe routes to school for all Primary Pupils. This is taking place at Kirkhill Primary. You can find a Council article here on their web site. This initiative is definitely the kind of move that we would all like to see supported.

So doesn't it seem strange that this initiative seems to have been totally forgotten when making the decision to cut the free bus service? Considering the project to promote safe routes assumes that anyone further than 1 mile already gets the bus!

As a parent you can support safe routes to school by asking for a Safe Route assessment for your children. This will determine the legitimate safe route to school during the school day. This is carried out by the Transport Authority and will provide an accepted safe distance that your children are from the school. An official will come and accompany you and your child along the route and assess any dangerous areas as well as the route itself.

Contact Frustration

2006-05-12T21:26:00.000+00:00

There have been several people contacting the site expressing frustration when communicating with the Council. They seem to be experiencing high volumes so patience is required.

See here for more contact avenues.

Perseverance is key! Good Luck!

Voices are Raised Again

2006-05-04T00:30:00.000+00:00

A big thanks to all those who came to the Council Meeting yesterday (Wednesday, 4th of May).

What a turn out!

A big effort was made by all especially the kids. It was great to see so many from Barrhead complete with banners, T-Shirts, Dogs and in great voice.

The Council certainly got the message that this decision is not acceptable to parents or children.

The demonstration was covered by a BBC web correspondent (click here to read the article), the Evening Times, the Extra and Barrhead News (click here for the current article on their web site, a little out of date though). There should be an article in the Evening Times today too.

Any photos? Send them in (please give permission to publish and also consent from all parents if your children appear).

A Police Perspective

2006-04-13T18:57:00.000+00:00

I had a reply from Scott Blain, Community Police Dept. of Strathclyde Police to the letter I sent regarding the Council's decision. This is what he had to say:

We are aware of E.R.C's plans for school bus services and whilst sympathetic it should be emphasized that Police are regularly inundated with complaints from parents,local residents and school staff about dangerous and irresponsible parking in the vicinity of schools.

I agree that the proposals from E.R.C have the potential to make the situation worse, however, we are seeking the cooperation of parents when dropping children off. This will no doubt cause some inconvenience but it is important that drivers ensure that when dropping children off, vehicles are parked/stopped responsibly.

Getting Children to School Safely

2006-04-07T15:26:00.000+00:00

It is up to parents to make sure that their children are delivered safely to school.

The decision to impose the statutory limitation to the free bus service limits and in many cases removes the choice of how parents can fulfill this.

Many parents want to avoid taking cars so that the critical congestion problem is not made worse. This becomes impossible economically for many as the only alternative is the bus service. Many would walk if road patrols over busy roads were in place. But sadly these have not been provided.

Parents want to deliver children safely to school and take this responsibility very seriously. But they are not being given a choice.

The new stated Transport Policy of the Council aims to encourage (among other things):

The use of more environmentally friendly methods of transport such as walking, cycling and using buses.
Reduce road congestion
Increase safety on the roads

For many parents without a choice the effects of this decision will work against all of these goals.

How They Voted

2006-04-07T15:24:00.000+00:00

As promised here is a list of how each Councillor voted, their ward and which party they are a member of. (This information was verified from the February Edition of the East Renfrewshire Council Meeting Minutes available here (page 2696) or from any of the local libraries).

The Council voted for a number of cuts as a package. The withdrawal of the free bus service to those between 1 and 2 miles of schools was one of these.

To summarise:

There was a total of 11 FOR the cut package and 7 AGAINST the cut package. There was 2 abstentions.
All those FOR the cut package belong to Labour, Labour & Co-operative or the Liberal Democrat Party.
All those who voted AGAINST the cut package belong to the Conservative Party.
The abstentions were the independent members.

Here is the way they voted in detail. Listed is the Councillor name, ward and party. Click on the Councillor name to send them an email.

Councillors who voted FOR the cut package:

Provost Cunningham, Barrhead East, Labour
Cllr Collins, Liboside, Labour
Cllr Fletcher, Thornliebank, Labour
Cllr Garscadden, Barrhead North, Labour
Cllr Lafferty, Busby, Labour & Co-operative
Cllr Mackie, Giffnock North, Lib. Dem.
Cllr Montague, Stamperland, Labour & Co-operative
Cllr Napier, Eaglesham, Lib. Dem.
Cllr Phillips, Auchenback, Labour
Cllr Steele, Merrylea Park, Lib. Dem.
Cllr Taylor, Barrhead Central, Labour

Councillors AGAINST the cut package:

Deputy Provost Shaw, Giffnock South, Conservative
Cllr Drysdale, Kirkhill, Conservative
Cllr Gilbert, Greenfarm, Conservative
Cllr Grant, Broom, Conservative
Cllr Hutchison, Mearns, Conservative
Cllr McGee, Clarkston, Conservative
Cllr Rosin, Crookfur, Conservative

Abstentions:
Cllr Devlin, Neilston West Arthurlie, Independent
Cllr Pearce, Netherlee, Independent

Draw your own conclusions.

BBC Cover Save Our Buses Campaign

2006-04-06T09:49:00.000+00:00

Following the demonstration at the Council Offices the BBC have published this article on their website:

Parents Fight School Bus Payments

Well done all!

Council Meeting Wed May 3rd

2006-04-04T12:10:00.000+00:00

There is to be a Council Meeting on Wednesday the 3rd of May at Eastwood Park in the building immediately to your right as you enter the park at 7:00pm. We are asking as many parents as possible to attend to show the strength of feeling about this cut. Let's show them how we feel!

Free Bus Service Axe Cost is "Reasonable"

2006-03-30T10:58:00.000+00:00

Today I received correspondence from Cllr. Allan Steele MBE, (Liberal Democrats) - Merrylea Park, in response to a letter I sent to our MSP, Mr Ken Macintosh, and copied to all Councilors.
To his credit Cllr. Steele is the only respondent so far (apart from Cllr. Shaw who I was informed is not available due to illness) and agreed to the publication of his reply. His view is personal but seems fairly representative of many of the Councilors supporting this cut from the information I have received from parents.

A summary of his points are:

Although he voted for the package of cuts there was no details of the cut package at the time.
Bus services are not being withdrawn, merely some parents will now have to pay.
Quote - "It appears that per pupil a £5 per week transport charge is being made. Personally I think this is reasonable. Obviously in the case of hardship, such charges would be waived."
The cuts are due to lack of finance from the Scottish Executive. - This partly the reason was writing to the MSP Mr. Macintosh (Andy Slater)

It would be interesting to hear your comments.

ERC School Bus Campaign First News Letter

2006-03-30T09:15:00.000+00:00

ERC School Bus Campaign

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update to let you know that hopefully Alex Robertson, a BBC Scotland journalist, will be attending the Council meeting on 4th April and he hopes to do an article on the situation. It'd be great if we could get as many people as possible to attend to really make our point to the Council, and hopefully get some coverage from this.

Aditionally I've attached a PDF of a letter Cllr Frank McGee sent out to everyone who'd been at the initial St. Ninians meeting. My apologies if you've received a copy of this but it does no harm making sure everyone else has seen it. Cllr McGee is happy for me to make this and any other communication from him publicly available.

Finally ( for now ! ) please take a look at this site ( http://saveourbuses.blogspot.com/ ) which has lots of great information regarding the decision on it. The site owner Andy & I have teamed up to hopefully be able to inform and update as many parents, pupils and residents as possible on the latest news and events. And please remember to tell as many people as you can about our campaign - not just other parents, but we want to involve all ERC residents who'll be affected by increased traffic and who are concerned about pupil safety.Tell them all to e-mail us, and to visit Andy's great site.

Remember - no risk assessments at all have been done by ERC on how this decision will affect our childrens safety, our already high congestion, and the impact this will have on literally thousands of people who pay dearly to live in ERC.

Best regards, and let's do all we can to get this ridiculous, ill-founded decision totally reversed.

Dave.-- Please let as many people as possible know about this Campaign!http:saveourbuses.blogspot.com is another site with information - please visit it!

Email Newsletter Available

2006-03-30T09:05:00.000+00:00

To keep up to date with what is happening there is now an email newsletter to make sure you don't miss anything.

Send an email to ERC School Buses (ercbuses@googlemail.com) requesting to be included.

S.T.A.G. Is born

2006-03-29T23:41:00.000+00:00

A letter from Cllr. Frank McGee arrived today informing of a new group being formed to spearhead the issue of the bus service withdrawal.

It has been christened School Transport Action Group (STAG). Very snappy.

This group will be co-ordinated by Cllr McGee and consists of concerned parents from affected schools. There has also been a similar group formed in Barrhead with the same aims. Information on the Barrhead group is currently scarce.

There is at least one comment posted on the What is Going On? article confirming some of this news.

Email the site or post comments to keep us all abreast of what is going on.

Contacting Councillors

2006-03-25T20:42:00.000+00:00

One of the ways of getting our voice heard is by contacting the relevant people. The links on the right hand side of the page will take you to East Renfreshire Council contacts pages.

Cllr James Fletcher the council leader is one of those whose ward is not greatly affected by this decision (only a few pupils in his ward will lose the bus service). Other wards have hundreds of pupils affected. Unfortunately Cllr Fletcher did not attend the meeting to answer questions. In fact none of the Councilors who voted in favour of this cut attended.

We can all email, phone, write and attend surgeries (times available through the links on the right of the page) to those who voted in favour to voice our concerns.

Click here for Cllr. James Fletcher's contact page to get you going.

I will try and get the full list of who voted for and against this cut and post the information as soon as I can.

What is Going on?

2006-03-25T19:54:00.000+00:00

A public meeting was held on 23/03/06 at St. Ninians High School by Cllr Frank McGee due to the overwhelming response he received once this decision became public.

Parents from all over East Renfrewshire attended even though the meeting was not well publicised. Cllr McGee and many of his colleagues believe that this decision is wrong as well as the parents. Unfortunately not many of parents' questions were answered at the meeting but the level of opposition to the decision was made very clear by all.

A resolve was made at the end of the meeting to work together to make ourselves heard by those in the Council who can do something.

This site aims to provide the information we all need to do this. All contributions of information are welcome.

Council Meeting Tues 4th April 7:00pm

2006-03-24T15:30:00.000+00:00

There is to be a Council Meeting on Tuesday the 4th of April at Eastwood Park in the building immediately to your right as you enter the park at 7:00pm.

Many parents intend to be there to highlight the overwhelming objections to this cut. The more people that attend the louder and clearer the message to the Council will be.

Another way to make our voice louder.

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2006-03-23T21:30:00.000+00:00

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2006-03-23T21:09:00.000+00:00

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2006-03-23T19:58:00.000+00:00

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