P-05-748 School Buses for School Children – Correspondence from the Petitioner to the Committee, 13.02.18

Dear Sir/Madam.

I thank Ken Skates for his responce how ever it is very focused around learner transport, my concerns are for those Children that do not qualify for dedicated school buses/learner transport and their only way to school being commercial buses as their form of transport to and from school, there are no thoughts for their safety it seems? Surly seat belts should be provided in all buses standard, all drivers should be DBS checked and no Children should be stood up in a moving bus of any kind nor should they be sat in the luggage space ( please see attached photos) I request that the attached photos are shown to each committee member due to meet at the next meeting and also shown to Ken Skates. 

I appreciate that to have dedicated school buses for every school would come at a cost and budgets are not at their best in Wales but if we could have some changes to prevent another death isn't that a good positive outcome for all? No child should be standing! Seat belts are law in cars so why not buses? And DSB checks need to be standard for all bus drivers, even if this cost comes to the driver themselves. What if you are the last child on that commercial bus or last vunrable adult it can happen right? I previously pointed out the case of murdered school boy Jamie Lavis this is just one example why we shouldn't be compromising Children's safety. 

The number 10 Arriva bus runs two buses now at school times, one is marked as a school  bus I question has that driver been checked? This is a commercial service bus displaying as a school bus? .

I stand by what I said in my past email points being

1. DBS checks on all bus drivers 

2. Seat belts on all buses 

3. Every child to have a seat if dedicated or commercial bus

4. All buses to be checked they are up to standard. 

Kind regards

Lynne Chick