Dear
Angus,
I
am writing this email on the back of correspondence I have had from very
disappointed parents regarding the changes in school transport provision for
children from the Bakers Road / Benside area to the Nicolson institute.
Changes
of the bus routes had only been notified to parents late last week just before
the term starts adding to the anxiety of some of the parents, why it took so long has not
been explained
According
to the minute of the Education Committee meeting of April
15 Item 20 :
The Report stated that the Comhairle agreed in March 2013, as part of the implementation of the Budget Strategy 2013-2015 to introduce a revised Home to School Travel Policy and, specifically, the discontinuation of three school bus contracts serving Laxdale Primary, and The Nicolson Institute, subject to all required road safety and traffic management improvements being implemented.
The decision of council is unambiguous that no changes would be made until all road safety measures were in place. This has not happened and yet, the bus changes have taken place. As a local councillor the fact that the walking route for children was to be made safe was of great comfort especially to parents.
I have checked the records and there is no amendment to this decision and therefore, I am at a loss where a decision can be overturned without going through the committee first. I have copied the chair and vice chair of Audit and Scrutiny into this email regarding this context.
Why has your administration not enacted the minute of the council meeting referenced above thus causing anxiety and distress to parents and children as well as placing the children in a dangerous position.
I would urge you to divert the buses that have capacity for Bakers Road/Benside Nicolson Institute students up round the aforementioned loop and also ensure that there is a bus going through Newvalley and Marybank until a time that the roads and walking routes are deemed safe to walk and that the necessary work is done.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours sincerely,
Gordon Murray
