Maitland schoolchildren are being left stranded kerbside and unable to make it to class as bus drivers refuse to pick them up because their vehicles are too full.
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The city’s coach crisis was brought to the Mercury’s attention by angry parents, some whose children were left to walk home alone, other’s who were forced to drive their children to school.
Parents who contacted the Mercury said some children, both primary and secondary school age, had been left with no alternative but walk home and spend the day there as parents had already made their commute to work.
The main concern came from the Lorn area after buses started their pick up from Largs and Bolwarra.
“By the time they get to Lorn it’s standing room only and drivers are refusing to pick up children, turning them away, because they are too full,” one parent said.
The issue was affecting students from St Peter’s and St Mary’s high schools and Hunter Valley Grammar School.
One parent said they had been told another bus would follow the same route after the first, but according to parents it would not get the children to school in time for their first class.
“We’re talking 10 to 12 kids at one stop in Lorn and probably the same number at the next stop along Belmore Road,” a parent said.
“My children were rejected twice this week and I’ve had to run them to school when I should have been at work.”
The parent said it was not just the inconvenience but the safety aspect of leaving children at a bus stop alone, particularly if there were no parents for them to go home to.
“All children had to register for Opal cards as well so the bus company should have realised the numbers they had to deal with this year.
“Clearly there are more children.”
Another parent understood that the bus company was conducting an audit on the number of student passengers they were transporting.
“A poor excuse when we are into the third week of the first term,” the parent said.
In a statement to the Mercury, a Hunter Valley Buses spokesman said the company regretted some students had been inconvenienced.
“Hunter Valley Buses is aware of this issue and is working to resolve it,” the spokesman said.
“At the beginning of each school year it is always difficult to estimate the number of students travelling to local schools.
“At this same time the company must ensure safe passenger numbers in each bus.”
