Anger as kids face two-mile trek to school

Apr 23 2008 By Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post

CHILDREN have been told to follow maps to try and find their way to school.

Kids as young as four will trudge through dirty underpasses after South Ayrshire Council axed their free buses.

And the council have issued ‘safe routes’ for children to navigate their way to class.

But furious parents say the routes are a joke that will send kids on long treks in dangerous conditions.

Children will be asked to walk after the free bus service was pulled by cold council chiefs.

Only those living more than two miles from school will now be eligible for transport.

And for grandads like Alistair McIlwraith, that’s asking way too much of his young family.

He stormed: “Are we supposed to send our children off for a 45 minute walk in the pouring rain?

“This is the 21st century — not Victorian days where you waved your kids off to school in bare feet.

“The council claim it will be fine as long as the children are accompanied by a responsible adult.

“But not every parent has one of those on hand. My daughter and her husband both work and so do I.

“Besides, when I vote a councillor in, I expect them to be a ‘responsible adult’ — not someone who will do things like this.”

Alistair’s grandaughter, Victoria Wilson, is due to start Holmston Primary later this year and has been handed her own safe route.

But she’ll meet only one crossing patrol on her way before reaching the school gates and have to walk through two darkened underpasses.

Mr McIlwraith, 55, added: “The ridiculous thing about all this is the council never gave parents a chance to pay for their own bus service.

“We’d have happily paid to keep a bus going if it meant our kids would be safely delivered to school and back. Instead they went and made this decision and then told us about it afterwards.”

Labour MP Brian Donohoe is backing the campaign of parents, which is quickly gathering pace.

He said: “I am deeply concerned about the decision to axe the free school buses and I will hold those on South Ayrshire Council who voted in favour of axing this service personally responsible in the event of any child being injured as a result.

"At a time when we are considering the environment, public transport is high on the agenda of the alternatives to children being run to school in cars by their parents.

“Apparently no consideration was made to the state of pavements or busy roads to cross between homes and the school.

“It beggars belief that no consultation was considered by the council before taking this crazy decision. I have written to the council to see if there is any chance to reverse the decision or at the very least amend it.”