School buses to improve for Potton students

Bus services to and from Stratton Upper School for students living in and around Potton are to be improved.
Stratton Upper SchoolStratton Upper School
Stratton Upper School

The M12 school bus service will be increased to accommodate 84 students, the maximum possible, up from the 70 the current bus can hold.

Stratton Upper Headteacher Rob Watson said: “This means that we can offer door-to-door transport for all Potton students.

“Although many 13 to 16-year-olds are entitled to free school transport from this area a small minority are not, additionally there is no entitlement to free transport for those in the sixth form.

“This new service means there is capacity for all ‘non-entitled’ students to apply for a concessionary bus pass at a rate that will be less than £2.50 a day.”

Central Bedfordshire Council’s School Transport team added that the proposal was initially for one year.

Michelle Endersby from the council said: “The service is viable if around half those students for whom it is intended purchase a pass.

“Stratton has agreed to support the provision for a year, and we have agreed to provide the administration services. We hope the take up will be sufficient to sustain the service into the future.”

All families that might benefit from the opportunity to purchase a Concessionary Bus Pass for Stratton will be contacted directly by Central Bedfordshire’s School transport team.

The council doesn’t pay for school transport for sixth formers unless the family qualifies as ‘low income’.

Independent councillor Adam Zerny said: “I’m delighted to learn the council has seen sense and provided a larger bus. It’s certainly been worth the fight.

“I’d now like to see pupils who attend Sandy Upper to benefit in the same way.”