Release issued on behalf of Families of the Freshwater to Cowes school bus students. Ed
Parents and families in the West Wight who have had their school bus completely withdrawn, are urging Southern Vectis to ensure that a promised extra bus service is in place ready for the start of term in three weeks’ time.
Over 48 students at Cowes Enterprise College live in Freshwater, Totland, Colwell, Yarmouth, Shalfleet and surrounding villages and have relied on a designated school bus for many years, through paying the IW Council £390 a year for their seats. But the Council have now withdrawn the service entirely, leaving children stranded in the West Wight and facing 6.30am journey starts which still won’t get them to College on time.
Southern Vectis have hinted that they will provide their “own dedicated school buses”, but time is running out and no service has yet been published.
Kefford: Son now faces an arduous journey
Claire Kefford, with her son Noah going into Year 8, said,
“There is no High School in the West Wight.
“Every single child around here has to travel on the roads to get to school, and the school buses are a lifeline. But there are no public buses from Freshwater to Cowes for us to choose to take.
“My son now faces an arduous journey of four buses and a ten-hour day just to get to school, which is really going to badly impact his ability to study.”
Mitchell: Please, Southern Vectis, support the people of the West Wight
Sam Mitchell and her daughter Bess in Year 11 continued,
“Families in the West Wight cannot be left behind: the school buses are a vital service for our local community, especially as our children return to school safely for the first time since March.
“Working parents need the school bus to Cowes to support our return to work, and Islanders want to see cars being taken off the road at rush hour to ease traffic congestion.
“Please, Southern Vectis, support the people of the West Wight and ensure that a bus will be available for all our children to get to school on time.”
Find out more
Families affected by the withdrawal of the Freshwater to Cowes school bus are urged to get in touch with other parents via Facebook by requesting to join the group “304 School Bus predicament”.
