Council delivers school bus timetable ahead of autumn start
Telford & Wrekin Council have been working with Arriva, who are the borough’s main public transport provider, to increase capacity on their busier home to school bus routes supporting a safe return to school for the start of the autumn term.
Plans include the introduction of additional buses providing school only services dedicated to carrying pupils, which will run alongside buses on the same route for use by the general public.
The school only services will be identified on the bus and on the Arriva App and signage will indicate the buses which are for pupil use only. Buses will be provided for journeys to and from school.
Pupils will still be able to travel on bus services for the general public which are adopting social distancing measures. However, capacity is reduced so the additional pupil only bus services should help to ensure everyone can get to their destination safely.
The additional school only buses will operate the same social distancing rules as outlined by Government guidance. We are therefore asking any pupil to follow these five important steps for safe travel:
•Keep a safe social distance while waiting for transport;
•Pupils over the age of 11 should wear a face covering; children with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities will not be required to wear a face covering. However, it is recommended where possible;
•Sanitise hands before getting on and off the vehicle;
•Dispose of litter responsibly;
•If possible, use the same seat for each journey.
A letter outlining the new routes and timetables has been sent to all schools with a request to send out to parents and guardians.
The Council will continue to work with Arriva to monitor capacity during September and ask them to make changes where necessary.
For timetable information, please refer to our home to school information page.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education & Lifelong Learning said: “We have been working with Arriva to ensure pupils can travel to schools safely in September. We asked parents to complete a short survey asking them which routes their children use to help us determine routes which would need additional transport.
Now these have been identified we can share this information with parents. It is great to see that our investment has helped Arriva to respond and provide so many school only buses so pupils can travel to school safely.”
