Sally Keeble for Northampton North
Sally Keeble said:
“This is a major change in service, requiring children to walk up to a mile to catch their home to school transport. The county council should carry out a public consultation on it and defer the introduction of the changes.
“This is not the time to bring in this scheme. The changes are due to come into effect on November 4th, which is just after the clocks go back so it will be getting dark early. it doesn’t help that the Council has turned off a lot of street lights. All parents worry about their children walking to and from school in the winter evenings: it’s even worse for children just starting to walk to and from pick-up points.
“If a scheme like this is to be introduced it needs to be supported by a very thorough training programme so that parents can feel confident about the safety and well being of their children.
“Children can face quite complex challenges in walking to pick-up points. These could relate to their physical needs or difficulties in responding to traffic or unexpected events.
“I’ve asked the County Council for more information, and to defer the start of this scheme to allow for public consultation and for proper arrangements to be put in place.”