Parents in Droylsden express outrage over severe delays to school bus services
Droylsden: Parents are really upset about the school bus situation. They say the bus has been super late since the Bee Network took over. Kids are left waiting in the freezing cold, and it’s just not okay.
One mom shared that her 12-year-old’s hands were nearly purple from the cold while waiting for the bus. Can you imagine? It’s been a real struggle since they got back from the Christmas break.
The trouble started on January 6 when the bus, which should have arrived between 8:10 and 8:20 AM, didn’t show up until 8:55 AM. And it got worse in the afternoon when it didn’t arrive until 4 PM instead of the usual 3:10 PM.
On Tuesday, things got even crazier. Kids were calling their moms for help because the bus still hadn’t come by 9:30 AM. It finally rolled in at 10:15 AM, almost two hours late!
Parents were so worried about their kids that many decided to drive them to school, causing a huge traffic jam with 50 or 60 cars waiting. Teachers had to bring kids back inside because the bus didn’t show up until 4 PM again. Parents thought that was a great move.
One mom was really stressed, saying she might have to choose between missing work or letting her daughter walk nearly four miles to school. She described the walk as dangerous, with country lanes and a motorway bridge to cross.
She mentioned losing £250 in earnings because her partner had to take time off work to drive their daughter. It’s just a mess, and she’s not alone in feeling this way.
St Damian’s RC school has been praised for how they’ve handled the situation, but parents are still frustrated with the bus service. The Bee Network took over the bus service recently, and it’s been a disaster.
Transport for Greater Manchester has apologized for the chaos. They promised to make changes to improve the service and said they’re working on getting new drivers used to the route.
They also mentioned that people can track their buses in real time using the Bee Network app and can give feedback. They’re listening to what parents have to say, which is a good sign.
