Children from growing villages like Headcorn, Sutton Valence, Langley, should have at least two direct buses to school each morning so that they can have a good start to the day and don’t miss out on lessons or breakfast clubs.
But changes to the busy No. 12 bus route could leave children from villages struggling to get to school on time, or having to get up extremely early to catch the bus.
Pupils at Invicta Grammar school who live in Sutton Valence will have to rely on a bus that arrives just four minutes before they are due to be in class, making no allowances for late running or traffic, under proposed changes to the timetable.
The only current direct service from Sutton Valence to Invicta leaves at 07.20am and arrives at 07.53am. From 2 April, Arriva plan to move this to 07.47am, arriving at 08.26am.
Langley is currently served by two services direct to the two schools, but this will be reduced to one, despite the existing services often being packed, with standing room only by the time they arrive to pick up pupils here.
The No.12 will no longer serve schools in Oakwood, with pupils having to change buses in town to get to school.
It is inexcusable that direct buses to schools in Maidstone are being cut, at a time when most schools have expanded to meet demand. We need more buses, not fewer, to make sure children get to school on time. Parents have told me that if they can’t rely on the bus they have to drive their children to school instead. So these changes could increase traffic when we know Maidstone’s road network is already at breaking point.
It’s not just children, lots of people rely on these buses. They are a lifeline that they cannot afford to lose.
Arriva must do the right thing and have a quick rethink
