Pupils get detentions after school bus changes

Parent Jon said pupils' stress levels were "through the roof"

The removal of dedicated school bus services is having a detrimental impact on children, families say.

Telford and Wrekin Council removed dedicated coach travel for 240 pupils at the start of term, and instead gave them bus passes to use on the public network.

Those living in rural parts of the county said the service was unreliable and children were being threatened with detention for turning up late to class when buses were delayed or cancelled.

Telford and Wrekin Council said the issues raised were being addressed.

The changes affect secondary school pupils at Charlton, Telford Priory, Ercall Wood and Burton Borough School.

Jon, whose 12-year-old son Alfie attends Charlton School, said the public buses were turning up late, leaving pupils' stress levels "through the roof before they even start at their new school".

"This is causing an issue because now they are getting detentions, they are getting ticks against their name for being late, which adds added pressure to us as parents," he said.

Freddie, left, and Alfie, were both given detention after their bus was late

Freddie, 11, who started secondary school this month said he had received detention after the bus arrived late.

Alfie and Freddie's parents said the detentions were subsequently withdrawn by the school, with the boys being logged as late due to bus problems.

The Conservative councillor for Ercall Magna, Stephen Bentley, added there were also safety concerns about youngsters travelling on public buses.

"The children's safety has to be paramount here," he said

"We've raised the concerns and we shouldn't be looking until the end of September to get this sorted out."

Telford and Wrekin Council has invested £1.4m into new bus routes

Four new council-funded bus services, the 102, 103 104 and 105, launched earlier this year to link up rural villages with larger towns, such as Newport and Wellington.

The routes are being operated by Chaserider as part of a £1.4m investment in bus services.

The firm said it had seen a "substantial increase in the number of school children travelling on the 103 route this academic year, which unfortunately has delayed the service due to increased boarding times".

Keith Myatt, head of business development at Chaserider, said the company had been working with the council over the past week "to adjust the timetable to resolve this issue".

Telford and Wrekin Council said concerns were being listened to and the service would be continually reviewed.

"Issues raised are common occurrences nationally in the early weeks of term as passengers become accustomed to new services and timetables," it added.