Kids left stranded
Mum says school bus driving by full
PARENTS of students at Pimpama State Secondary College claim their children are regularly left stranded on the side of a busy road because buses arrive late and are too crowded to take them.
Skye O’Dwyer, mother of year 12 student Amber Jones, said she had complained 12 times to the school, Surfside buses and TransLink late last year about students being left waiting on Waverley Rd in Willowvale, even meeting with school officials to discuss her concerns.
“To be constantly late is one thing, but to just leave children on the side of a busy road with no one coming back to get them is unacceptable,” she said. “It’s not a safe road.
“I can’t help but think something bad has to happen to one of the kids before something is done.”
The concerned mum said she had to drop her daughter to school last week after a bus drove past full, only to return later to see children still waiting for another bus well after school had started.
“They are just sitting there waiting after the bus just drives past. Some have waited until after 10am for another bus and then they just have to walk home,” she said.
“I walked three children back home because it was clear another bus wasn’t coming. Luckily their grandmother was home, but so many parents work so they have no other option.”
Ms O’Dwyer said her daughter Amber had not been on time once this school term.
“It’s not fair on the kids,” she said.
Another parent, Delia Lowton, who has daughters at the school said her kids were “refused entry” on the afternoon bus home because it was full.
“The driver literally closed the door in their face,” she said. “We’ve been driving them in the morning to avoid them being stranded but we can’t keep doing that, it’s affecting the rest of the family.”
Minister for Education Grace Grace said while the safety of the students was “paramount”, the onus was on individual schools to ensure bus services had sufficient capacity.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said he was concerned by complaints about the bus service.
“I totally expect TransLink and the bus companies will work with schools to rectify the situation quickly,” he said.
Pimpama State Secondary College principal John Thornberry said the northern corridor had experienced significant population growth.
“This is an issue a lot of schools in growth areas are facing,” he said.
“TransLink are the body for adding additional services, and I have been in contact with Surfside. I have a meeting with Michael Crandon and Surfside on Friday to discuss additional overflow buses.”
I TOTALLY EXPECT TRANSLINK AND THE BUS COMPANIES WILL WORK WITH SCHOOLS TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION QUICKLY TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS MINISTER MARK BAILEY