Parents in Plymouth are unsure of the free school bus service provided by Plymouth City Council.
A Plymouth mum recently found out that her son is eligible for free school transport, however she has been left feeling frustrated.
Her son is currently in the last year of his secondary education and he could have received free transport for the last 5 years.
She decided to look into the service after seeing a post on a local Facebook group, where fellow mum’s were discussing the topic of free school buses. Many were unable to answer as they thought that there was no such thing.
However after a quick search, she found Plymouth City Council’s page which outlines the criteria as to whether you are eligible. The application was successful.
She said: “I was very annoyed that I didn’t know about this before. I spent years paying for my child to get the bus to school when I could’ve gotten it for free.”
“I only recently learned about school transport through [a parent’s] Facebook post. I may have had different career choices all this time.”
“They [Plymouth City Council] should do more to inform parents that this service could be available like they do with the free school meals.”
At the current cost, an adult single is capped at £3. A child return on a school bus cost £6. Parents are essentially paying adult prices for their children to get to and from school, which over the course of the year, adds up.
Plymouth City Bus offer a 91 day ticket which comes to £295. This would need to be bought twice within a school year, costing parents £590 per child.
It is not right that a child’s ticket to gain an education costs more than what an adult pays.
The criteria for a free bus pass states that the child goes to one of their three nearest suitable schools; is 2 miles away measured by walking distance; up to 6 miles measured by driving route; the parent receives full working tax credit.
This means that many children who receive free school meals may also be eligible for free transport to school.
It also states: ‘A child accompanied as necessary can walk and walk with reasonable safety to school.’
This places accountability on the parent to accompany their child to school, which is not fair on the parents who may have jobs to go to.
Plymouth City Council were approached for comment but did not respond.
You can see if you are eligible for free school transport here:
https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/apply-school-transport