Schools to shares buses in bid to be more efficient

PUPILS at different secondary schools will now use the same bus to travel to school, under new plans.

The borough council has changed some of the home-to-school transport ahead of term starting next month.

Each day, roughly 900 children use the council-commissioned services.

This year, there will be a change to most school coach routes to secondary schools.

Wokingham Borough Council says that this switch is to better accommodate students and ensure the most efficient use of vehicles, a spokesperson said.

The number of coaches will decrease, with students from different secondary schools sharing transport.

It is hoped this will reduce the number of vehicles on the road, as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Primary school pupils will see many of the routes changing.

For some, this may mean they are travelling with different children, a different operator or different staff.

There will also be a pilot scheme for some pupils, who will be picked up by a minibus from nearby collection points, such as bus stops.

This is instead of taxis offering a door-to-door service.

SEND pupils may also have new staff taking them to school, be travelling with different pupils or in different vehicles.

A council spokesperson said all transport has been arranged taking into account individual needs.

Cllr Graham Howe, executive member for children’s services, said the borough council is committed to providing an accessible and appropriate hometo-school transport service that is sustainable.

“The review helped us evaluate the service we provide and make some adjustments to reduce the environmental impact of the service,” he said.

“We are reducing the number of vehicles we are using, which is a key part of our journey to being carbon-net-zero by 2030, as well as being cost-effective for our residents.”

He said the council continually looks at services to ensure they provide the best value for money.

“Through My Journey Wokingham, we already work with schools to encourage parents and children to walk, scoot and cycle to school, which is also part of our work to reduce our carbon footprint,” the councillor added.

The council has contacted all parents of pupils who receive home-to-school transport with more information.