PARKING ISSUE COULD SEE BUSES CUT
A PUBLIC service bus operator is considering taking away services through a Moorlands village at school times - because of heavy congestion and parked cars in the area.
Bosses at First Bus have raised concerns that parked cars are causing a danger in Holt Lane. Kingsley in the morning and afternoon near the entrance to St Werburgh’s School.
If the service was withdrawn it would affect three buses each way, making a total of six journeys at school time between 8am and 9am and the between 2.30pm and 3.30pm in the afternoon.
At last week’s meeting of Kingsley Parish Council, First Bus representative Daniel Flanagan, said that drivers had raised concerns about the road during the last few months.
He said: “There has been an incident where a girl has been in collision with a car. We are finding that congestion around the school is getting worse.
“Cars are there for the duration. Our vehicles have to go on the wrong side of the road. I think that unless radical plans are made we have no alternative to look at journeys not going through Kingsley and Kingsley Holt. They would go straight down the main road at Kingsley Moor.
“We would remove the service during school time. It is not often that we find ourselves in this position.
“It is purely for safety reasons as the buses are on the wrong side of the road a lot of the time.” Councillor Martyn Hordern said buses were needed at these times, especially in this isolated area.
He said: “Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has wardens, have they been approached? There has also been time to contact the police department.
“The school does have newsletters to highlight this problem as parents could cause buses to be lost in the village. We want the services to continue.”
Councillor David Fowler said it would be a retrograde step if the services were reduced.
He said: “Once taken away they will not be put on again. The school, police and council should sit down and deal with this. These are the key stakeholders to take part in the discussion. It has to be tackled.”
Councillor Elsie Fallows said if the services were cut it would leave children going to schools in Cheadle stranded.
She said: “There has got to be an alternative. We can’t take the buses off. Pupils going to Cheadle schools have to use the public service.”
Councillor Malcolm Sales said, no one wants to see an accident happening: “We need to get a solution. The school and police need to be involved to overcome the problem. Please hang fire while discussions take place.”
A statement from the school read: “We have not received any contact from First Buses in relation to their threat to cancel the service to Kingsley.
“We are fully committed to keeping the children, parents, staff and community members safe. As such, we regularly remind all of the importance of parking safely and considerately through our newsletters. The vast majority adhere to the parking restrictions around our school.
“We are supportive of a parking review outside the building and welcome police and traffic control measures.
“The removal of a bus service would impact negatively on not just our school community, but also that of the two secondary schools in Cheadle and the parish as a whole.”
Following a debate the parish council asked First Bus not to reduce any services until a meeting to see if a solution could be found to the problem.