P-05-748 – School buses for school children, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 29.04.19

Dear Committee,

I truly hope that someone along my petition journey will stand up and take some kind of responsibility for the safety of children who have to use commercial buses as their only way to school, I believe there should be school buses for school children but as pointed out in one of your meetings this would be far to costly, it's so sad to hear that, when money is ploughed in to other directions.

At the very very least there has to be some minor changes to ensure children who have to use public buses to and from school are at their safest, not just children either, as our elderly and most vulnerable are also very important. I truly do not think it's to much to ask that all bus drivers are DSB (CRB) checked.

the fact that commercial bus drivers do not by law have to under go DSB (CRB) checks this i feel is shocking as there is always a chance that a child or vulnerable person could be that last passenger on that bus, meaning the driver is alone with them, you only have to think about the Jamie Lavis case where a bus driver befriended eight year old Jamie and let him hand out bus tickets before sexually abusing and then murdering him, and yet we are expected to be ok with letting our children travel to and from school on commercial services with unchecked drivers!!

I understand dedicated school buses are driven by drivers who are DSB checked, but as pointed out budgets wouldn't allow for every school to have a dedicated school bus so therefore some school children only have the option of using a commercial bus.

The laws between commercial buses and dedicated school buses are very different and yet both are being uses by school children.

The seatbelt issue to ensure peoples safety, this should be standard considering in other vehicles its law to wear a seat belt?

The point I've raised in past correspondents I will list again below, I hope I truly have your support on keeping children safe, as I said it wouldn't just keep children safe but everyone.

Its fabulous all those school children who are lucky enough to have a dedicated school bus, with seatbelts and a seat each, a driver who is advanced checked via DSB yet for those children who are not lucky enough to have a dedicated school bus and have to rely on commercial buses as a means to school should have the same type of safe guarding when travelling. How is it fair that some children's safety is compromised in this way just because they are less fortunate.

How can it be law to wear a seatbelt in other vehicles yet on a bus that aspect of safety is over looked?

I stand by what I have said in my past emails, points being

1. DBS checks on all bus drivers

2. Seat belts on all buses

3. Every child to have a seat if travelling on a commercial bus.

Please see attached photos of how our children are travelling when having to rely on commercial buses to and from school.

I also request that the 2 attached photos and my full email are made available to every member sat on the committee meeting please.

Kind regards

Lynne Chick