Good news on school bus concern

I recently highlighted the concerns about the withdrawal of the 3.50pm Service Number 16 school bus from Harris Academy and so am pleased to say that yesterday I was informed that it is now hoped that a solution can be found by making a separate bus service to Kingoodie larger next session and thus having a number of spare seats available for Harris Academy pupils from Invergowrie and en route.   

The bus in question, likely to be called Service 816, would be a ‘service bus’ so as well as carrying pupils from the catchment area entitled to free travel given the distance their homes are from the school, it will also allow any pupil wishing to travel as a fare payer.  

I understand that this service is now out to tender and that full details of who has been awarded the contract and the associated timetable will be put on the Perth & Kinross Council website in early August 2012.   It is also hoped that Harris Academy will be able to circulate timetable details to parents prior to the school returning.

I am very grateful to Perth and Kinross Council for its prompt action to address this situation.    Although the majority of pupils benefiting from the larger bus going to Kingoodie will live in the Perth and Kinross Council area, it is also good news for West End of Dundee pupils who live in the most westerly part of Perth Road and surrounding streets.    

There is still an issue for Perth and Kinross pupils who attend Harris Academy and live in Longforgan and Inchture and I have no doubt that Perth and Kinross Council and the councillors for that area will be mindful of this.   However, the situation for my own constituents’ children in the West End of Dundee – and for pupils from Invergowrie – now looks a lot more promising so I am now a lot more confident that there will be a proper bus service to take them home after school when the new term starts in August.


I spoke about developments on Wave 102 news late yesterday.   Click 'play' below to listen: