Changes in force after Telford students complain of being left stranded at bus stops
A council says it took ‘immediate action’ after hearing reports that Telford students were being left stranded at bus stops when services became too full to take any more passengers.
Telford & Wrekin Council says demand for bus services in Lawley has seen an “unforeseen” surge this year and a larger bus is now being used on the 101 route in response.
Jill Holland, the clerk at Lawley and Overdale Parish Council, told a meeting earlier this week that “quite a few residents” had contacted them with their concerns.
“There have been problems accessing buses from Lawley to schools and colleges in Wellington,” the clerk told councillors.
“They have been driving past students because they are already so full.”
The parish was told that the issue was “escalated” to Telford & Wrekin Council, which responded quickly, and action was taken by bus company Arriva to put on a larger vehicle.
Councillor Emma Holding (Overdale and The Rock Ward), the parish vice-chair, said her own son had previously had to “drop out” of going to Shrewsbury because of problems with transport.
The clerk said parents had been having to leave work early after “paying for a pass and then not being able to get on a bus.”
Councillor Cathy Salter (Lawley Common Ward) wondered whether parents having to drive their children to Telford College was adding to issues with the car park there.
“It is difficult trying to get out of TCAT,” she said.
The BBC has recently reported calls for better access to Telford College’s car park which has been described as “carnage” during the rush hour.
Councillor Ollie Vickers, (Labour, Donnington) Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for the economy and transport said: “We are aware of recent concerns regarding students having trouble boarding the 101 bus service to Telford College.
“These issues were not reported to the council at the time, and as soon as they were brought to our attention, immediate action was taken.”
Councillor Vickers said that this year demand for the service in Lawley increased significantly – more than doubling compared to previous years.
“While this surge was unforeseen, it reflects the growing importance of the route in supporting young people’s access to education,” he said.
He said that in response a larger vehicle is in operation to “ensure that all students can travel safely, comfortably, and without disruption”.
He added: “We continue to work in close partnership with the college and the bus operator to monitor service performance and address any emerging challenges.
“Should any further issues arise, we encourage families and students to contact us directly.
“Their feedback helps us maintain and improve transport services.”
A spokesperson for bus company Arriva said: “September is always a busy time as we welcome students returning to school or college for the new academic year, and we have processes in place to monitor service delivery and support the management of any pinch-point that develop.
“We have no concerns on punctuality or reliability of our services in Lawley and Overdale, which have seen a 10 per cent improvement in on-time performance with less than 0.01 per cent of journeys disrupted due to factors beyond our control.
“Individual customers, and parish councils, are welcome to feed back with comments, ideas and suggestions at any time by contacting our Customer Services team directly.”
