Missing school bus places

15 children from the village of Charlwood attending the Priory School in Dorking have been denied a place on the school bus provided by Surrey County Council. A parent was told that, despite her being willing to pay for her daughter, there is no place for her.

Surrey also said that her daughter should take public transport but failed to point out that the 22 bus that she would need to get doesn’t have an early enough service.

Why? Because that bus is being used as the school bus. The parent said, “My issue is that the public bus (number 22) gets taken out of service during school term time as it becomes the school bus. We now have no alternative public transport available.”

Lib Dem Councillor Alcia Loach said, “It is ludicrous to say to parents ‘use public transport’ when Surrey County Council has taken the most immediately available transport option out of service. I have raised this with Surrey but have yet to receive a reply.

“I think Surrey needs to find a solution. This could be an additional bus or minibus or a bus from Dorking station timed with the trains. “Parents currently have to use cars increasing both congestion and carbon emissions."