Parents have slammed ‘absolutely disgusting’ delays to a school bus which they say has been ‘horrifically late’ since the Bee Network took over.
Children from Droylsden attending St Damian’s RC school in Ashton-under-Lyne have faced long waits in freezing temperatures for their bus since they returned from the Christmas holidays, multiple parents have told the Manchester Evening News.
More than one mum said they had to leave work at 9.30am to take their 12-year-olds to school because their hands were ‘nearly purple’ from the cold weather.
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Problems began on Monday (January 6) when the 864 bus, scheduled to stop in Droylsden between 8.10-8.20am, arrived at 8.55am. That afternoon, parents say it did not arrive at the school until 4pm instead of usually being there at 3.10pm when the bell goes.
Issues worsened Tuesday morning, when pupils contacted their mums to help them out as it still had not turned up at 9.30am. It’s thought it eventually arrived in Droylsden at 10.15am, nearly two hours late.
By Tuesday afternoon, many parents worried about their children’s safety decided to drive to collect their children at hometime, reportedly causing congestion as there were ‘50 or 60 cars waiting for students’. That afternoon, school teachers had to bring stranded pupils back inside from the wintry conditions as the 864 did not show up until 4pm in a move parents praised as ‘fantastic’.
The chaos left one mum fearing she would have to choose between losing income by missing work, or asking her 12-year-old daughter to walk nearly four miles to class.
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“It’s a treacherous walk, it’s down country lanes and over a motorway bridge,” the 36-year-old who asked not to be named said. “It would be very very dangerous and it would take her one hour 37 minutes.
“It’s disgusting, honestly. We have lost £250 in lost earnings because my partner is self-employed and had to take the day off work [to drive her to school on Tuesday].”
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) took over the previously privately-run bus over the weekend, incorporating it into the Bee Network. Parents have also criticised the Bee Network’s customer service team, which reportedly ‘did not have a clue’ about the service.
One is thought to have ‘said the route for the 864 was in Cheadle’, while other parents say they were told the 864 simply does not exist.
TfGM’s chief network officer, Danny Vaughan, has apologised for the ‘mess’. He said: “We are very sorry for the impact the delays to the 864 has had on parents and pupils – it has been unacceptable.
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“Immediate action has been taken by our operator to change the way in which the 864 runs which I’m confident will improve reliability and punctuality. We also expect punctuality to improve further as new drivers become accustomed to the route and once the bad weather, which has made driving conditions and congestion more difficult than usual, subsides.
“Through the Bee Network app people can also track the location of their bus service in real time and are also able to give us feedback through the ‘rate my journey’ function. We listen and act on all feedback and are grateful for the reports we have received about the poor service on the 864.”
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