Arriva urged to rethink Telford school bus axe

A bus service which drops off and picks up children from outside a Telford school is being withdrawn because it is not "commercially viable", it was revealed today.

Parents today called for the 786 service, which is due to stop running from November 26, to be saved.

Arriva said it was no longer commercially able to operate the service from Telford Town Centre to Ercall Wood Technology College in Wellington.

The bus currently runs once a day in each direction on school days.

Stuart Bristow, of Priorslee, said the change would mean his children, Sean, 12, and Rebecca, 11, would have a long wait or a walk of more than a mile to another bus stop.

He said: "Every day they and many other schoolchildren rely on the Arriva 786 service to get to and from school.

"This bus is always packed, especially on the return journey, so you can imagine my surprise when my children came home with a letter saying Arriva is withdrawing the service.

"The alternatives for my children and many others is either a one-hour wait for the 66 or a one-mile plus walk to the 44 bus stop by the AFC Telford ground, not the best walk with winter drawing in."

Chay Davis, the college's headteacher, said: "I am very disappointed that there was not a greater period of consultation and that we were only given two weeks' notice of the service ending. This was also the only bus service that dropped off and picked up directly outside the school so pupils now have a five-minute walk to the nearest bus stop.

"I would reiterate that the service is independent of the school and as such we have had no influence over this decision.

"I am happy to forward any representations that parents make to me to the bus company concerned."

Keith Myatt, Arriva spokesman, said: "It was a commercial decision made by the business. We are no longer in a position to operate that service.

"It does not meet our requirements to operate on a commercial basis and the local authority, Telford & Wrekin Council, have been aware of this.

"Anything over and above what we are able to provide commercially the council needs to consider whether they are able to operate a socially necessary sponsored service."