Centro Withdrawing Green Bus Subsidy for 2013/14

[Happy dad]

Just received a further email from Green Bus and am disappointed that they have decided to go with Option B. Need to start seriously looking at alternatives to the Green Bus. and after using it for less than four weeks.

[um]

So they will run a reduced/fragmented service then?

That has huge implications for Year 6 parents making school choices soon.

I hope they publish clear information quickly. For example the Green bus for KE Handsworth (and Aston) runs nearby to us, but if it stopped, I have no idea how I would get my dd to KE Handsworth without a long journey and a lot of changes. She'd be back very late in the evening

[Wolves mum]

I think this has massive implications for most parents as the kids that would have used the green bus and gone to b'ham may now take up offers at wghs and qm etc and that may push the score needed to get in up.

[sss]

I've spent over £700 pounds for a full year's pass & now this - surely not!!
What a joke!!
Will our dc be safe (at age 10-11) using public buses on their own - it will have MASSIVE implications for future school choice decisions. We will seriously consider an independent as opposed to a GS in future for our dc.

[esam99]

This will force parents that depend on the bus services (funded by "Centro"), to consider local schools, and I feel it will not affect the scores, but the movement around the selective schools.

[Happy dad]

I've spent over £700 pounds for a full year's pass & now this - surely not!!
What a joke!!
Will our dc be safe (at age 10-11) using public buses on their own - it will have MASSIVE implications for future school choice decisions. We will seriously consider an independent as opposed to a GS in future for our dc.

And they don't plan to offer any refund Problem is information on the new services is unlikely to be available for some time and us parents need our preference forms in by 31 October.

One thing I am struggling with is they say that they will be turning into a public bus service but go to great lengths to state how the public have always been able to use them - certainly something my wife and I were not aware of.

Think the schools need to voice something on this, particularly Five Ways, as they appear to rely on it more than most and it was certainly part of the sell when we visited.

[um]

Can someone post the full text of their letter to parents, please?

[orianagirl]

Got home last night to read the email from the Green Bus. I am also disappointed that they have decided on option B (but can understand that they have done it so most parents can still afford to use the service). I am now left worrying (4 weeks in to year 7) how my DS will get to KE Aston from Solihull area if the service is withdrawn (the only thing making me think the service will continue is that the bus is 'rammed' every morning and my DS hardly ever gets a seat which means demand for it is high). As there are at least 9 Green Buses that serve KE Aston I am hoping that the schools as well as the parents will be consulted on future services. Will wait with very crossed fingers to hear how they are going to proceed

Um see their email below

We are very grateful to everyone who expressed an opinion regarding the future of our bus services in the West Midlands. Thank you for the many emails we received over the weekend: we tried to respond to as many as we could in the time available.

It is clear from the response of many parents that possible changes to The Green Bus are causing much anxiety for them and for pupils. Many would prefer the status quo but, sadly, the judgment of the High Court means that pupils who use dedicated school buses are not entitled to any child fare subsidy. Change of one sort or another is therefore inevitable. In order to help to reduce the current feeling of uncertainty, we thought it best to make a speedy decision about what we feel is the best way forward in the light of all the responses from parents and schools.

We have decided, subject to successful discussions with Centro, to keep our existing services available to the general public. The reasons for our decision are as follows:

· a private service would be too expensive for very many families: The Green Bus was always intended to be an inclusive service rather than an exclusive one
· there is a prospect, if Centro agree, that in future years (ie. from September 2014) that the services may be able to accept the nBus, nNetwork and Scholars Pass tickets Centro offer
· the general public has travelled on our services since 2005, and there has never been any adverse consequence (some of our services have regular adult commuters, for example)
· the schools which have expressed a view to us have told us that they would prefer a cheaper, public service rather than a dearer, private one

Although we will need to redesign our existing services to ensure that they are properly available to the general public, we will do so in a way which causes minimum inconvenience for families.

Our next step is to discuss with Centro any changes we are required to make to our services in the light of the judgment of the High Court. We will keep you fully informed throughout the process. In the meantime, our services will run as normal.

[UmSusu]

I think it is shame that the Green Bus will not be able to maintain its previous agreement but actually it is not the end of the world: they will still provide the dedicated service route. Just how much of the public do you think are going to get on to go on the same route? What is it that you think your DC's will suffer by sitting with the 'public'?

I'm sorry but many DC's travel to grammars on the usual buses and many more to get to their non-selective schools :my scatterbrained and nervous DS1 gets two services along with a walk through the city centre and he has become incredibly responsible and confident in one year. I appreciate that it is an anxious time for the parents of the younger ones, but they will get used to it just like everyone else.

[reeyah]

I agree with you UmSusu. In fact, I think it may even benefit the children as I have heard horror stories about misbehaviour from pupils on the Green bus (KEAS). Perhaps having a few members of the public on it will keep them calmer !