School Transport - opinions please

khall

This is a bit long-winded but please bear with me.
My 4 year old daughter has just started school a few miles away from our house. I don't drive and my husband is at work for both school runs. I also have another younger child not yet at school.

As my daughter's designated school was full for her year, the transport team offered me a small sum of money towards taking her on the bus to school each day. I accepted, sent bank details etc. Thought it was all sorted.

The day before she started a taxi firm have informed me the transport team/council will pay them (a significantly larger sum than what was offered me) to take/fetch my daughter each day.

However:
1. She has a total of 3 drivers and never the same one each day
2. The drivers will not leave the vehicle - therefore she will have to negotiate car park etc by herself. She will also have to make sure she gets into the right car.
3. They are not allowed to take me and other child as well, only my 4 year old.

I e-mailed them as I find this unacceptable (especially after watching the stranger experiment etc on Dybreak earlier. I think it would be all too easy for my daughter to wander off/ be run over and obviously worst, be tempted into a strangers car etc.

The transport team have addressed my concerns by (in a nutshell) saying don't worry we'll pay for it all.

I am now fuming and would just like opinions (possibly reassurance) as to whether I am overeacting and would anyone find this acceptable?

Apologies for length but thanks for getting through it!

khall

Please delete sorry, issue now sorted!

marleyboy

Have just had transport arrangements for our 4 Yr old. A fleet of minibus style taxis collect the children and as we live in a cul-de-sac, I have arranged a pick up and drop off point at the end of our street.

So long as you are there to place her in the taxi and there to collect her at drop off point, things will be just fine. Your only other alternative is to get a taxi yourself and take your child.

jackomdj

Please share on how you sorted it.

FBaby

Of course you are not over reacting, however, it sounds like a mixed up between the taxi firm and the council, not that this is what the council is expected to happen, hence there statement not to worry and they will pay it all.

ilikewatch

Blimey, when I first started primary school I had to get a normal public bus on my own...

jog

At my sons primary there are quite a few children who come by taxi and the staff have a rota for getting the children to the taxi's, the staff see the children actually into the taxi, parent see's them out, so they don't actually have the chance to get into the wrong car etc, have you spoken to the school to ask what their arrangements are for children who come by taxi?

mummyroysof3

I think as long as a staff member takes them into school and puts them in the taxi it should be ok. I've got to sort transport for my youngest to go to a special needs school so been thinking about this recently.

khall

Sorry, transport team rang straight after posting.

They have agreed the taxi was not suitable so I will be taking her on the normal public bus as had been planned.

From what I was told the taxi driver would pull up somewhere along the road outside the school, let my daughter out. She would then make her own way into school.

I had more of a problem with her coming out of school and having to cross a road (private for school but still busy) to find a taxi in a car park. The school said there would be no staff available to help her find her taxi, so to be fair I was more concerned that she'd wander off looking for it and I'd be none the wiser. Its quite a large primary school so does get quite busy at school run time.

Anyway issue is now sorted thanks