Parents of children at Boroughbridge High School have criticised Transdev after they claimed the bus company didn’t tell them a school route had been cut.
The V22 Vamooz service took children on the outskirts of Ripon to and from the school in Boroughbridge.
Vamooz is owned by Transdev, which operates several bus services in the Harrogate district, including the 36.
Two parents today told the Stray Ferret they were not told by Vamooz or Transdev that the service was being withdrawn, which meant children were left waiting this morning for a bus that never arrived. They called the situation “chaotic”.
Shanagh Brown’s 15-year-old daughter was unable to make it to school today from her home in Wormald Green.
Ms Brown said she had struggled to get any information about what alternative bus routes to the school there were for her daughter. She feared her child would have to catch a 36 bus into Ripon at 7.15am in order to get to school on time.
Ms Brown said:
“My daughter is upset, she’s just had Easter and wants to get back to school to start revising for her GCSES.
“I found out from another parent that Transdev were withdrawing the service due to low passenger numbers.
“It’s a nightmare and I’m stressing out.”
Read more:
- The Ship Inn near Boroughbridge to reopen after serious fire
- Dates set for second Harrogate Christmas Fayre
Philippa Graham’s 12-year-old son also goes to Boroughbridge High.
He has caught the V22 from Lead Lane for the past two years but returned home this morning after the bus never arrived.
Ms Graham said she was not aware the service had been cut, which she said led to a stressful day for her family.
“Our son came back home having gone to catch his bus and said ‘it’s not turned up mum’.”
“It’s utterly chaotic.”
‘No longer sustainable’
Vamooz’s website says children who normally catch the V22 are able to catch the 36 bus to Ripon from their usual stops before getting another bus, the 22, from Ripon Bus Station.
A Transdev spokesperson said bus passes for the V22 are valid on the 36 and 22. They said all school bus passengers were told that the service was being withdrawn.
They added:
“Less than 10 customers per day used this bus, which was obviously no longer sustainable, and each were contacted via email to make them aware of alternative buses they could use or take up the opportunity of a refund.”
