Pupils left stranded after baffling bus time changes

Wholesale changes to bus timetables have baffled parents after children were left stranded at their schools and dropped off at earlier stops.

Arriva altered its timetables at the beginning of the month in a move to adopt a central “hub” approach.

As a result, some services were cut while others had schedules altered leading to confusion as school children returned after the Easter Holidays.

Bruce Holcombe’s 12-year-old son Ethan was made to walk to the Judd School when his bus came to a halt one mile shy of his stop.

Mr Holcombe, 50, from West Malling, said: “There used to be the 577 and the 599 which would run through Kings Hill dropping the children off in the middle of Tonbridge. We got a letter from the school saying it was all going to change and be amalgamated into the new 148 service. I have absolutely no idea where the buses are going and the timetables are all out of date.”

Mr Holcombe has known some parents to ditch the bus altogether and take their children to the Brook Street school by car instead.

The commercial director, who lives in Ryarsh Lane, paid £270 for his year 7 son’s annual bus pass but is unsure whether he can get a refund.

He said: “We are trying to get answers out of Arriva and one person said it was because Kent County Council had cut their funding.”

A group of pupils were also left without a lift home when their bus failed to stop outside Oakwood Park Grammar.

A scheduling mistake meant the driver avoided the regular pick-up point outside the school and instead stopped out of sight near Hartnup Street.

Paul Temperton said his 12-year-old son Ben was unable to chase down the bus on the opposite side of Tonbridge Road.

The 49- year- old, of Greensleeves, Kings Hill, said: “Arriva are trying to change it to make it better. Whether that works or not I don’t know but they keep getting the basics wrong.”

A spokesperson for Arriva said: “The route of the 148 has been slightly revised so it no longer directly serves Tonbridge Girls Grammar School, Judd School or Hayesbrook School.

“There are three 575 services from Oakwood Park Grammar in the afternoon – two run to Kings Hill and one to Snodland.

“The two Kings Hill services leave directly from the school. The Snodland service runs from the main road. This was a minor change to make it easier for customers to differentiate between the different services for the different destinations.”