Children with disabilities were left without school transport on the first day of term because there were no drivers. Angry parents said some children have been unable to get to school after services to Ysgol y Deri special school in Penarth were cancelled without warning.
Vale of Glamorgan Council blamed widespread driver shortages for causing "issues with school transport provision". Transport to Ysgol y Deri couldn’t run because of “last-minute” staff shortages and some other school transport services had also been affected, a spokesman said.
Daniel Parrott, whose 14 year-old daughter attends Ysgol y Deri, said the minibus due to pick her up from their house in Llantwit Major at 8.15am on the first day of term on September 6 failed to turn up. There was no bus on Wednesday either and he has not been told when it will be running again.
Read more: Supermarkets criticised for charging more for petrol in the Valleys than Cardiff
Mr Parrott said that after waiting for the bus for nearly an hour on the first day of term he drove his daughter to the school away, making him late for work. Some parents have had to keep their children off school because they have no alternative transport, he said.
Taking public transport wasn't an option for some children with disabilities and in any case public transport does not cover all areas of the Vale well or get to the school's door, he said. “My daughter loves the school. She was ready and she wanted to be back at school and was upset when the minibus didn’t come.
"We contacted the previous driver, whose number we had, but he said he didn’t do that route any more. Later the council said the contractor had let them down the night before and they had asked them to contact parents but they hadn’t. My daughter’s bus starts in Llantwit and goes through Rhoose and Barry and I know children on other routes weren’t collected either."
Mr Parrott said when they arrived at the school staff were having to deal with large volumes of traffic as parents drove in en masse late because buses hadn't run. "When I finally got to the school with my daughter there were parents driving in from all over and the head teacher and teachers were in the car park directing traffic.
“It’s a huge burden on the school, especially for the start of term. I was told by teachers it was a nightmare and that multiple school minibuses with the Vale contractor just didn’t come.
"We don’t know when the service will be back and lots of taxi contracts have also pulled out. I have been told there’s no immediate prospect of a minibus any time soon on my daughter’s route which usually picks up about 12 children.”
Mr Parrott said he was “very frustrated” to now have to drive 40 miles a day on two 20-mile round trips to drop off and pick up his daughter. He has not been told when her school transport will resume.
“I’m lucky I can drive my daughter in but petrol is expensive and I know some children don’t have parents who can drive them to school. Without school transport they won’t be going in to school.”
Parents have also contacted Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS, to complain. Miss Dodds said on Wednesday: “We’ve been contacted about the situation with pupils from Ysgol y Deri in the Vale of Glamorgan where the contracted school transport provider didn’t collect a number of the pupils yesterday morning and I believe has withdrawn from the contract.
““It is totally unacceptable to leave a group of vulnerable children and young people stranded without school transport on their first day of school. These young people and their families deserve an apology from the council and the provider and reassurances that this won’t happen again.”
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said: “The council did have some issues with school transport provision on the first day of the new school year (Tuesday, September 6, 2022). Certain services were unable to operate due to last-minute transport operator staff shortages.
“This does happen on occasion but as the passenger transport industry has a driver shortage issue at present the school transport team were unable to arrange cover with other providers. With regard to Ysgol Y Deri school transport two services did not run. To ensure pupils can have transport to and from Ysgol Y Deri the team are working tirelessly to organise alternative transport.
“The school have been made aware of the situation and the school transport team are liaising with parents/carers to keep them updated. The council apologises to those affected and assures all parents/carers they are doing all they can to rectify the situation.”
Read next:
- First Cymru bus drivers are going on strike over pay
- The huge changes to how schools will teach in Wales this term
- Free school meals: Welsh councils reveal which children will be offered them from the start of term
- Penarth's Ysgol Y Deri praised by inspectors for being 'highly positive and inclusive'
-
Parents at Welsh high school 'choosing between paying bills and sending kids to school'
