Local battle to save school transports reaches the floor of the Commons (Lewes Liberal Democrats)

Lewes Liberal Democrats <info@leweslibdems.org.uk>

Local battle to save school transports reaches the floor of the Commons

January 17, 2012 5:09 PM

A local c Norman Baker MP and Cllr Sarah Osborne walking the route with local parents to protest the cuts to the local bus service. ampaign that started out as a battle to save the school buses to Chailey and Tideway schools from East Sussex County Council cuts has now become a national issue over reforming government guidelines being debated in Parliament.

Local Lib Dem Councillor Sarah Osborne has not only managed to get many MP's from all parties to support her campaign to save school transport, but has a agreement from the Minister for Children and Families to reconsider some of the current guidelines issued to Local Authorities.

During the debate MPs raised their concerns over child safety following cuts to school buses. They have called for the Government to issue a clearer statutory test to councils to use when assessing if a route is safe for children to walk to school. Like Sarah Osborne they asked the Minister to drop the present assumption that a responsible adult will always accompany children.

Sarah Osborne has long pointed out that the East Sussex Conservative County council's cuts to school buses have put local children in danger, as many of the roads are too dangerous to walk, even with an adult.

Lib Dem Councillor Sarah Osborne said, "Their own colleagues in Parliament have said that child safety should be considered above all other factors and yet East Sussex County Council is happy to send children walking to school in the dark on roads without a pavement and a 60mph speed limit.

"The Conservative County Council is clearly on the wrong side of what has now become a national issue."

During the debate the Minister said "Local authorities should also have in place, and publish, a robust appeals procedure for parents to follow should they have a disagreement with regard to the provision of transport. As I am not satisfied that we have such a procedure, I will take the matter away and reconsider it."