Withdrawal of Free Travel to school proposed.....

[SSM]

(Isn't it good to have good discussion in the Kent forum again - I've missed it, and no-one has mentioned Judd yet...)

We have to pay for DS2 to travel to Skinners' as our nearest appropriate GS was Judd but he chose not to go there. Unfortunately his score was high enough to potentially get a place at Judd, otherwise we would have put Judd as 1st on the CAF, and Skinners as second, then KCC would have paid to his transport.

There you go PC I've mentioned the J word But it wasn't controversial.

[familyinthevalley]

When my first boy went to Grammar School, we were advised that the local comprehensive was our closest 'appropriate' school, and therefore travel to a chosen GS was not provided - that was 8 years ago. So for 5 years we did have to pay £685 per annum for a parent run coach to pick the boys up. The last two years were bonus, as he then went in with my husband who commenced work there.

The child attending that same GS now has a free bus pass that enables him to take the coach (we have since moved into the catchment area). Doesn't use it to get there as he goes in with his dad, but is unable to use it coming home when his dad has parent teacher meetings, DofE sessions, science club etc., as apparently there are too many students allocated to that bus -and there isn't the room. As he has an alternative means to get home, albeit having to wait - (good personal study time) then he doesn't take the coach and waits for Dad.

When eldest was there, the freedom pass didn't exist. If they do away with the free transport and raise the Freedom pass to £100 - what a cheap way of getting kids to school! I would certainly spend that in two months just in petrol, and it is also good for non school journeys as they get older - surely you have to take that into account as well? At almost £5 per return ticket on the bus to get to the local shopping mall where all the kids go to movies etc., that's only 20 trips on the bus per year for leisure and it's paid for.

[Kent99]

The Freedom Pass is great provided that there is a viable, commercial bus service between your home and school of choice. If you depend on the train, or on a school bus service which ceases to run, it won't help. Also, there is no guarantee that the Freedom Pass scheme won't itself be discontinued at some point. It was first piloted only about 3 or 4 years ago. And, whilst I don't know the terms of the agreement between KCC and the bus companies, I bet it didn't include suddenly having to provide free additional buses/seats for all the children who currently have "funded" seats but will be seeking to use the freedom pass instead.

[T12ACY]

FITV - DS2 has the FP, which we paid £50 this year for. He was eligible for free home to school transport but for us it made good sense to select the flexibility offered by that scheme as he could use it whenever he liked. As a result his 'paid for' H2S pass was withdrawn so saving the LA money from that budget. In fact there are a few of his friends who did the same, which begs the question of which scheme is costing too much??? I also can see the FP being withdrawn. KCC have said the demand was unprecedented but am astonished they hadn't realised how many parents would see it's excellent value. Poor planning on their behalf I would say!

On the note of seats / spaces on the bus. DS3 has the free school travel train and bus pass. The train is fine but he often has to wait for a couple of buses to go by before any will stop and pick him up as they are full with students travelling (with their FP's). If I were a regular fare paying bus user I would be flipping furious!!!!!

[doodles]

It would be a brave member of the public who got on the bus that my DS catches using his FP

[frustrated]

Just to let everyone know that there is petition on KCC website to oppose the changes to the cost of the FP. The petition is to go against the raise in cost to £100 per year and also to ask for them to allow 16-18 year olds to be able to apply as well.

There are only two days left until the petition closes, they need 12,000 signatures and when I last checked there were only around 530.

Not sure if I can post the link - it is quite hard to find on KCC site otherwise (or I might be a bit dim ).

Moderators - can I post the link - it goes straight onto the petition on the KCC site?

If not, any interested parties, please PM me.

[T12ACY]

Only 530? That isn't very many and is also interesting that it hasn't been communicated to current FP holders!

Not entirely sure I agree with the opposing the increase as even £100 is good value. What I do think would be appropriate is the option to pay in Instalments for those who don't have that much to shell out in one go! The inclusion of those up to end of Y13 is a good thing imo. So am off to search for the petition..........

[T12ACY]

1926 people have signed this ePetition

So a few more now have, but nowhere near the 12000 needed!

[One Down]

I have just signed the petition and the figures are now up to 4600+.

I just wanted to share some info from friends whose children have had a lot of problems getting on to crowded buses with a FP (Don't have personal experience at the moment as DC have a free home to school passes). Apparently KCC only calculate their bus seat nos. for the children with H2S passes and make no allowance for the huge numbers of children using Freedom Passes. Apparently, they say they have no idea
which routes the FP holders may be using, despite having home addresses and school addresses for each applicant, and hence make no bus provision for them (up to the bus co. to decide), which I find quite worrying. Several of these children get driven to school each day, despite buying a Freedom Pass, as they just cannot get on a bus as they are all full. So when people such as myself have to buy Freedom passes under the new system, this problem will be many times worse as no extra bus provision is made.

Also, is it even legal to make changes to H2S passes for existing pupils when school choice was made on that basis? I think they can do it with FP as it was always advertised as a year-to-year system.

[T12ACY]

I suppose a legal challenge could be made on the basis of school choice being made with the expectation of free H2S transport, and wonder who will be the brave soul to do it?!