Transport

Eleven Plus (11+) in Medway

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anxiousyear
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:13 pm

Transport

Post by anxiousyear »

Hi -can anyone help on buses from Rochester station to RGS. Went to the parents' evening yesterday and picked up a leaflet from Arriva which has left me totally confused. Bus 600 seems to take them to school but not home again! Also dropped DD off for induction day this morning by car and didn't see a single arriva bus arrive or leave the whole time I was there which was a bit worrying. If anyone can help with the following I would be grateful -

what buses go past the school and where is the nearest stop to the station?
are they all school buses (which I have been told get overcrowded) or are some public buses?
are they all run by arriva?
do they generally arrive and depart on time and has anyone encountered any serious problems with the service?

Thanks. Thought the bus part would be the easy part to sort out but apparently not!
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Transport

Post by tiredmum »

Hi
My dd goes to RGS, take a look at this link

http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/Jo ... cheparam=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Put in rochester railway station to RGS and it gives you various bus choices that leave from very near the station.

Where will your dd be getting the train from? or do you live near the station :)
anxiousyear
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Transport

Post by anxiousyear »

Hi

Thanks for reply. Been away in the sun for 2 weeks :D . My DD is getting the train from Sole Street to Rochester and then the bus. Seems weird you can only get 4 weekly saver tickets on the school buses. Why don't they do termly ones!! I think you used to be able to get a ticket which covered both train and bus but sadly that does not seem the case any more.
nigs
Posts: 105
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:38 pm

Re: Transport

Post by nigs »

Can you not get a Freedom Pass for the buses? Not sure if that will work out cheaper or is it for sixth form?
Belinda
Posts: 1167
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: Transport

Post by Belinda »

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Last edited by Belinda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
anxiousyear
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Transport

Post by anxiousyear »

Belinda - yes you are right. We don't qualify for the Kent Freedom Pass for the reason you state. In fact I could drive my DD into Gravesend and she could get a bus from there and then she would qualify! Daft really. And we don't qualify for the Medway half price scheme because we pay council tax to Kent. I guess Medway parents who send a child to Kent where the bus change is in Kent are in the same boat. I must admit it is a bit of a shock to realise we will be paying about £800 a year in fares for DD to attend RGS if we decide to send her by the most direct route!

The ridiculous thing is that we are being encouraged to leave our cars behind and use public transport. But I could save £700 a year (less a little bit of petrol) if I drove her into Gravesend and back every day. And it would still end up less than £800 a year if I drove her all the way to RGS and back every day. Add to that the fact that the bus and train times are not well co-ordinated for the children and if she misses her train (15.39) she has to wait 40 mins at the station for the next one. But no - I am not stressed about it, not one little bit.

I did know that the train/bus situation was going to be a little tight before we plumped for RGS - although it didn't occur to me that the fares would be so expensive. But I would still have made the same choice. However it might make difference for others so it is a cautionary tale!!
TeamD
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:50 pm

Re: Transport

Post by TeamD »

My DD starts MGGS in September and will be catching a bus to and from school. I was planning to buy a Kent freedom pass - but we pay our council tax to Medway so aren't entitled to apply. I thought that if you pay your council tax to Kent and your DC attends a Medway school, then you are entitled to apply for a Kent freedom pass - however, it seems it isn't that straight forward!!
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