Child Bus Pass

[surveyor]

Not sure where to put this - will give it a go here...

Daughter heads to comprehensive in a few weeks. There is a school bus, which runs as a part of a scheduled service.

Free bus passes can be had for people who live more than 3 miles waking distance from the school. We live 2.6 miles away, but only if you walk down unlit public footpaths that are often quiet.. Otherwise it's 3.5 mile walk. I don't think the walk is safe for a young girl in the daylight - and even more so in the winter dusk.

The cost of a weekly bus ticket is £368 a year/ There may be savings by buying monthly, but there are risks as to losing it!

Has anyone had this scenario and been successful in arguing their case?

I'll pay if needed. But equally will work with the system if I can...

[Robbo 27]

I think the rule is that the distance is the shortest route along which a child may safely walk, I suggest that would be your argument, the safe walking distance is over 3 miles.

Bit Dickensian anyway isnt it? Child walking 3 miles to school, anyway thats a different subject.

[Countdown]

I'd be very surprised if they allowed an exemption because of that tbh.

ETA By "safe" I assume they mean "not having to cross crocodile - infested swamps or traversing ravines via a rope bridge". Unlit public footpaths aren't generall classified as unsafe.

Edited by Countdown on Sunday 2nd July 13:55

[Robbo 27]

Countdown said:

I'd be very surprised if they allowed an exemption because of that tbh.

ETA By "safe" I assume they mean "not having to cross crocodile - infested swamps or traversing ravines via a rope bridge". Unlit public footpaths aren't generall classified as unsafe.

Edited by Countdown on Sunday 2nd July 13:55

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/575323/Home_to_school_travel_and_transport_guidance.pdf

See point 22

[Countdown]

Robbo 27 said:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

See point 22

Happy to be corrected but I couldn't see a definition of what was deemed to be "unsafe".

[fatboy69]

surveyor said:

Not sure where to put this - will give it a go here...

Daughter heads to comprehensive in a few weeks. There is a school bus, which runs as a part of a scheduled service.

Free bus passes can be had for people who live more than 3 miles waking distance from the school. We live 2.6 miles away, but only if you walk down unlit public footpaths that are often quiet.. Otherwise it's 3.5 mile walk. I don't think the walk is safe for a young girl in the daylight - and even more so in the winter dusk.

The cost of a weekly bus ticket is £368 a year/ There may be savings by buying monthly, but there are risks as to losing it!

Has anyone had this scenario and been successful in arguing their case?

I'll pay if needed. But equally will work with the system if I can...

£368 per year?

Bargain.

I am paying the princely sum of £875 per year for my sons bus pass. Local authority refuse to assist or waive the fee. Thieving bus company wkers.

[Countdown]

fatboy69 said:

£368 per year?

Bargain.

I am paying the princely sum of £875 per year for my sons bus pass. Local authority refuse to assist or waive the fee. Thieving bus company wkers.

£4.60 a day? That's quite high for kids. I think an all-day pass is £4 in Manchester, cheaper if you buy one weekly/monthly.

[surveyor]

Countdown said:

fatboy69 said:

£368 per year?

Bargain.

I am paying the princely sum of £875 per year for my sons bus pass. Local authority refuse to assist or waive the fee. Thieving bus company wkers.

£4.60 a day? That's quite high for kids. I think an all-day pass is £4 in Manchester, cheaper if you buy one weekly/monthly.

she has some weeks off...

[Countdown]

surveyor said:

she has some weeks off...

£875 / 190 days = £4.60/day

[surveyor]

Countdown said:

surveyor said:

she has some weeks off...

£875 / 190 days = £4.60/day

getting confused with the quotes

This is the route....

[Countdown]

Ok that's not what I envisaged a "public footpath" to be (although that looks a lot safer than the route me and my brothers used to take! )

Worth putting in a claim and then seeing what they decide I guess.

[Taita]

Could you use mapmyrun or similar to document a tarmac/pavement route that she would take?

Seems fairly reasonable to avoid a cross country school route. In winter her uniform would be in rag order by the time she got there etc.

[ChemicalChaos]

Just my 2p, but I'd get her a reliable mountain bike with a good set of lights on it. Much quicker than waking and able to outrun any dodgy characters whose potential presence you are rightly worried about.
On says when it's teeming down she can get the bus instead on a day fare.

[surveyor]

Hmm. They got me I think.

The bit that I missed apparently is it's measured to her catchment school, which is not the school she is going to. The catchment school is 2.8 miles away, and I cannot really see any grounds to appeal the refusal.

Still there are bigger issues afoot as I'm not sure a bus actually exists for her to catch on her return any more - the largest provider of school scheduled services in the County closed at the end of last term.....

[alorotom]

That's ludicrous as a catchment school is irrelevant if they aren't attending that school - I would appeal as that's just comical and unjustifiable