School transpor sutiability / appeal

frugallass

kissmeimposh wrote: »

frugallass you are totally taking my remarks out of context. I was not being rude to any teenage mums but rather I was questioning the sensibility of any mum who would send their tiny child alone in a cab regularly. I would question this if it the mum was any age, colour, creed etc.

My child is my responsibility and as such I have an obligation to demand reasonable transport; and the fact that the Council inadequately planned the transport and misled us when they allocated the school does not mean I should disrupt the child's education and social structure now by moving to a new school or forgiving the Council for its shortcomings and making up for these myself. Agreeing to allow the child to ride alone in these circumstances would be to neglect my parental responsibility.

frugallass you sure are opinionated when it comes to deciding what is best for other people's children.

HOW OLD IS 'THE CHILD' ??

You stated

Just seemed that maybe it's a a teenage mother with little experience or sense of responsibility, to send such a little girl alone in a cab unless the driver was a relative or similar.

you didn't say 'any mum' so why bring teenage mums into it.

The council are offering you reasonable transport - if you don't like it then provide your own, simple - blimey you'll be moaning about the type of car next !

Can you please expand on your last comment? and while you at it - tell me how old 'the child' is?

MrsE_2

kissmeimposh wrote: »

I see the point but I do not fully agree in relation to our context and circumstances. Why would the council insist on paying vastly more to a taxi company if we could (must) do the same function and be paid vastly less while relieving the Council and the driver of responsibility for the child during the journeys? Why is it that our time has zero value but a taxi driver who has limited responsibility and concern for the child is paid a profitable amount? We don't seek any profit but we shouldn't be out of pocket or time in covering for an inadequacy of the Council.

Ahhh so now we get to the crux of it........... money.

If you want to earn taxi rates, become a taxi driver.

The council milage rates will cover your petrol & bare wear & tear, what it won't provide is a profit for taking your child to school.

I'm guessing you don't work? If you did work & travel time would have been mentioned. If you are not working & on benefits then your are being paid anyway, so whats the problem?
If you work take them yourself on your way to work. If its the wrong way, why don't you ask for a school place nearer your work rather than using your home as the marker?

MrsE_2

kissmeimposh wrote: »

Mrs E, In this case the time to take my child to school is the Council's time and responsibility. I would rather they fulfill their legal duty to do so sufficiently. But if they cannot and I have to do it for them then they should to bear the reasonable cost of that. Just becuase I reasonably refuse to send the small child alone in a cab in the specific circumstances does not mean the Council is entitled to shirk its obligation or enjoy a savings.

frugallass you are totally taking my remarks out of context. I was not being rude to any teenage mums but rather I was questioning the sensibility of any mum who would send their tiny child alone in a cab regularly. I would question this if it the mum was any age, colour, creed etc. My child is my responsibility and as such I have an obligation to demand reasonable transport; and the fact that the Council inadequately planned the transport and misled us when they allocated the school does not mean I should disrupt the child's education and social structure now by moving to a new school or forgiving the Council for its shortcomings and making up for these myself. Agreeing to allow the child to ride alone in these circumstances would be to neglect my parental responsibility. frugallass you sure are opinionated when it comes to deciding what is best for other people's children.

So after bringing mums age into it, we now have their colour & creed. WHAT ON EARTH DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SCHOOL TRANSPORT?????

HOW OLD IS YOUR CHILD?

I'm now guessing this is a secondary school placement as you seem shirk from revealing it!

Kimitatsu

OP has repeatedly stated that this is a "very young" child. She has also said that this is a primary school that the child is being transported to, so I think it is safe to assume that this child is not of secondary age.

However, although I can see the OP's point of view, I think asking for the taxi driver and then grilling him is certainly going over the top. Put yourself in his shoes, he is transporting a young child and gets a phone call out of the blue asking for his personal details - for all he knows YOU could be the pervert wanting to do the child harm!! There are many cases of children being abducted by a parent not resident in the home. Also I can assure you that all taxi drivers have to go through an enhanced CRB, as well as list 99 and sex offender checks. These are very stringent and take some time, if they are not back by the time the schools are back then these people are not allowed any contact with the children.

As for saying they may not realise they have these proclivities until put in that position - my goodness if that is your view then you had better lock the door and never go out at all! If that is your view then any adult or older child that your child may meet may have these urges, it is as much a matter of educating your child as to what is acceptable as much as vetting everyone they may come into contact with.

I appreciate you may have concerns with your child going in a taxi but being honest you are far more liable to get your own way by asking for a meeting with the council and putting your concerns to them face to face rather than threatening court action or bad media attention. The people who make these decisions are just that people, and many of them are parents, if you put your case forward on that basis, then IMO and in my experience you have far more chance of getting what you want.

tinkerbell84

OP, HOW OLD IS YOUR CHILD?????

Mojisola

Children from nursery age upwards are brought to our local primary school by taxi. There has never been a problem with the drivers. They drive to the front entrance and hand over the children to a member of staff.

tinkerbell84

:think: TROLL ALERT :think:

The OP was last online at 7.32 this evening but hasn't bothered posting on this thread.

:rolleyes:

pinkemsy

The poster has a list of threads they have started asking for advice, often referring to 'a friend' etc. Always asking for advice and not happy when people give it and it's not what they expected to hear.

Bree

kissmeimposh wrote: »

Just seemed that maybe it's a a teenage mother with little experience or sense of responsibility, to send such a little girl alone in a cab unless the driver was a relative or similar. If I worked for social services and heard about such an occurance I'd want to check it out for the girl's sake.

I find your comments very offensive. I can assure you that my friend takes her children's health and safety seriously. Around here is common for children to be taken to school by taxi, although the council will try to arrange it so that the taxi is full if at all possible.

And as for social services, don't make me laugh, they are well aware that some children use a taxi to get to school, in fact they sometimes arrange it. My nextdoor but one neighbours daughter had to into hospital so she had her grandson to stay while his mum was in hospital. His mum spoke to social services who arranged for the taxi to collect him from his grandmothers and take him to school.

Just because you don't agree with some one there is no need to so rude.

It is your resposibility to get your child to school, it's the councils responsibilty to provide free transport if you live 2,3 or 5 miles away from the school dependant on the age of the child. If for any reason the allocated transport does'nt arrive, then you have to get your child to school.
Occasionally a coach or taxi won't arrive because of weather conditions, they breakdown,they get stuck on the wrong side of a RTA or just get stuck in heavy traffic.

alijolly

As I have said before, children in our school which is infants only (4 - 7 year olds) has children who are brought by taxi.

One parent was in a similar situation to the OP and was not happy for her child to go in the taxi, she therefore uses public transport to bring her child, however she meets the cost of this herself as there is a suitable mode of transport provided by the council which she chooses not to use.

Although the OP's school seems not to have been in this situation, I wonder whether the education authority has other schools which use a taxi service.