A petition has been launched calling for Bridgend Council to reconsider the eligibility criteria for free home-school transport over road safety and other safety concerns.
The eligibility rules for free home-school transport changed in September 2016. Pupils need to live at least 3 miles from a secondary school (or Bridgend College in some circumstances) and 2 miles from a primary school – the absolute maximum limits Welsh law allows. It’s something of a long-running saga with a number of changes to home-school transport proposed since 2013.
As of the start of this term (September 2021), BCBC has also reintroduced a strict “No Pass, No Travel” rule for secondary school pupils where only those with a valid pass will be allowed onto school transport.
At the time of posting, the petition had received just under 1,000 signatures at change.org.
“Bridgend council and their transport department are putting the new year 7 pupils of Cynffig Comprehensive school at risk walking to and from school, long distances, poor light and busy unsafe roads during the route to school. Some of which have just turned 11 and have never walked this far alone before.”
– Excerpt of the petition text
Although the petition mentions Cynffig Comprehensive, concerns have been echoed by the parents of children attending other schools (edit: I’ve been told that a similar petition frrom parents of children in the upper Llynfi Valley was submitted to the council but wasn’t properly acknowledged).
This is despite the policy only being used where Bridgend Council has identified what they believe to be a “safe route to school” for walking or cycling.
BCBC is currently investing in new walking and cycling facilities as part of Welsh Government-backed push to encourage active travel, but very few of the schemes to date have been along school routes.
Petitions are something Bridgend Council staff and councillors ought to get used to, as the Local Government Act 2021 will require all local authorities in Wales to have a formal public petitions system.
