An angry Newmains mum has blasted North Lanarkshire Council over transport failures which left her disabled son being unable to get to school.
Nicola Park hit out after eight-year-old son William was left without a taxi to ASN school Drumpark Primary in Coatbridge for the first week of term despite being promised back in February no such problems would occur.
And now she wants answers from the council who she claims did not answer her queries throughout the summer.
Nicola told Lanarkshire Live : “William went to Mavisbank but because the schools were merging we were told he would be going there.
“The application for transport was done in February and at that time we were told we would hear back by the end of term.
“The taxi company William had last year told me they were ready to have him back but over the summer we heard nothing.
“I made over 100 calls to the council’s transport team and sent 18 different emails. I only received three replies all of which were generic.
“School was supposed to start on August 18 for William and last Thursday, August 25, was the first day he was able to get to school. It’s ridiculous.”
There have been numerous reports of pupils suffering from transport problems due to the ongoing issue between the council and SPT.
However, Nicola insists her situation is completely different as the taxi company who William, who suffers from the rare neurological condition ZTTK syndrome and epilepsy, used last year were happy to do so again this time around.
She also insisted the problems with William’s transport have been going on for several years.
“The company William used previously told me they were just waiting on the contract being sent over,” said Nicola.
“It should have been done months ago.
“I was then contacted by another company who had William’s contract and said they would send a mini-bus to pick him up.
“I told them that wasn’t possible as William would need wheelchair access and the company said they were never told that.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened. This has been going on for years even before COVID.
“The stress this has put me under has been hell. It shouldn’t be this difficult to get your child to school.”
A NLC spokesman apologised to Nicola for any distress caused.
“We apologise to all families of children and young people with additional support needs who had transport issues at the beginning of this school term,” the spokesman told us.
“A number of taxi contractors withdrew from contracts just before the start of the new school year citing issues with driver shortages.
"This caused delays as we tried to organised alternative providers at very late notice.
“We are glad William can now attend school and apologise to his family for the issues they have experienced.”
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