East Belfast schools face significant issues with buses

Bus services at both Ashfield Girls' High and Ashfield Boys' High schools have been affected

Two large schools in east Belfast are facing "significant issues" with their school transport.

In a letter to parents, the principal of Ashfield Girls' High School, Louise Hanvey, said it and the neighbouring boys' school were both affected.

Ms Hanvey said extra Translink buses to get pupils to and from school had been cancelled on Monday.

BBC News NI understands a significant number of pupils have been late for school as a result of the problems.

Translink said it was aware of "service capacity issues" at Ashfield Girls' High and had been monitoring the situation.

One parent of a pupil at Ashfield Boys' High School also said his son had waited up to an hour for a bus after school.

Ashfield Girls' High and Ashfield Boys' High are two large non-selective post-primaries in east Belfast.

There are about 1,600 pupils between the two schools, which are on adjacent sites on the city's Holywood Road.

'Not able to cope'

In her letter, Ms Hanvey said that a previous arrangement with a private bus company to take pupils to and from school had expired in November 2021.

However, from November 2021 until June 2022 the school had paid to subsidise fares for pupils getting buses with the private company.

But Ms Hanvey wrote that the Education Authority (EA) then said pupils would have to rely on public transport to get to school.

"It was communicated to me that the normal Translink service would be adequate to provide home-to-school transport for both schools with a total pupil population of approximately 1,600 pupils," she wrote.

"It was stated by both schools, on numerous occasions, that normal Translink service would not be able to cope with the increase in passengers using the service, in particular during the morning and afternoon home/school times."

Parents are being urged to contact the EA and Translink about the school bus problems

Ms Hanvey said she estimated that it could take an hour and a half for all pupils to get Translink buses to go home at the end of the school day alone.

She said that the EA and Translink had agreed to provide two extra "sweeper buses" for pupils in the morning and afternoon.

"To date there have been significant issues with the sweeper buses, with only one bus arriving, refusing to board the girls on Friday 2 September, and then cancelling all service on Monday 5 September," Ms Hanvey continued.

'My kids' commute is now four hours per day'

A parent whose children attend the Ashfield Boys and Girls schools told BBC News NI they now have to travel on six buses for up to four hours per day in their five-mile commute to and from school.

Andrew's two children are pupils at the schools, which sit on adjacent sites on the Holywood Road.

He said when there were arrangements in place to transport the pupils, his children could get home in as little as 30 minutes.

The upheaval has meant the family have had to do a number of "emergency collections", he told BBC News NI's Evening Extra programme.

"[One day] after several buses had gone past them on the Holywood Arches bus stop I had to phone one of their grandparents and arrange for them to collect them and take them to school because no Translink buses were stopping for them," Andrew said.

"It [has] a massive impact. Aside from nervousness in going out the door in the morning and us as parents worrying about whether or not they've gotten to school safely or not, it's in terms of attention span and tiredness and general demeanour."

Andrew said he decided to cancel his children's monthly bus passes and make other arrangements to get them to and from school.

He added that he does not believe the current arrangements "can ever logistically work" and they are depriving the wider community of access to bus services.

'Hundreds of kids waiting'

She told parents that the school had contacted the EA about the situation and was told that the EA and Translink were under "considerable pressures" and "both are adjusting to the new school year".

"As I have no level of authority to negotiate with the Education Authority or Translink currently, I would advise you to contact Translink directly as your daughter is a fare-paying member of the public who is entitled to use the public transport network," Ms Hanvey said.

She also urged parents to contact the EA and said they and Translink should ensure the "sweeper service is reliable".

• Pupils hit by free bus travel halt at Belfast school

A parent of a year eight pupil at Ashfield Boys' has told BBC News NI that their son sometimes had to wait up to an hour to get on a bus home since starting school last week.

"He's just started high school. It's a big enough experience for him, never mind waiting for a bus," they said.

"He attempted to get on a bus today but it was full. Another two or three buses drove past him but they were full.

"There can be hundreds of kids waiting.

"It just doesn't work," they added.

A Translink spokesperson said the company carried about 60,000 pupils to school every day.

"School traffic needs to settle into a pattern at this time of year," they added.

"We are aware of recent service capacity issues for Ashfield Girls' High School and have been monitoring the situation.

"We will engage with the school to discuss this further. We would ask our passengers for their patience at this time."

A spokesperson for the EA told BBC News NI it was aware "that transport provided by a private operator for non-eligible pupils at Ashfield Schools is no longer operating".

"In line with DE policy, the EA's statutory duty is to provide home-to-school transport for those eligible pupils who live more than three miles from their nearest suitable post primary school," the spokesperson said.

"However, we are aware that fare-based public transport arrangements are available to pupils at the schools."