By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Rural parents in areas with poor bus links who want a reliable transport for their kids to get to school should up sticks, according to Conservative County Councillors.
Concerns were raised at Shire Hall on Wednesday (January 15) that schoolchildren were being left by the roadside in villages due to overcrowding on buses as councillors considered a report into transport in Gloucestershire.
Tory Councillor Brian Tipper (Cam Valley) told Gloucestershire County Council’s environment scrutiny committee that it has been proven many times that rural bus routes are not economical.
Instead, he suggested the County Council should advise people who want to get to school or work by bus to move to areas with good public transport links.
His comments came after Cllr Wendy Thomas (L, Durlsey) raised serious concerns about people struggling with bus cancellations.
“In my division, I’m getting a lot of blowback about overcrowded services,” she said. “To the point where school children are being left on the side of verges in rural villages like Nympsfield
“This is because they are denied boarding because the first bus in the morning is full.
“That to me is a huge issue. It’s not just happening in one little village, it’s happening in a few places.”
But Cllr Tipper said people who live in remote rural areas should not expect a bus service similar to that which is available in Cheltenham and Gloucester.
“I’ve got some sympathy for the child who lives in a rural area but at the same time the parent chose to live in that area,” he said.
“People who need to get to work or school, they should live on a bus route.
“If they can’t facilitate getting the child or person to work living in the country area, they should move.
“They should not have chosen to live there in the first place. When you start getting out in the sticks you can’t expect the kind of service you get in the urban area in the country.
“It’s just not economical. The amount of times we’ve proved we put a bus in a rural area, the operator is not expected to make it pay.
“They expect the County Council to up the subsidy for it. We should recognise our limits.
“We should be laying down the advice that people who need to get to work, school, they should live on a bus route.
“I’m sorry to sound dictatorial about it but it’s common sense. If you can’t get to work because you are living in a certain area you shouldn’t have moved there in the first place.”
Chairman Chloe Turner (G, Minchinhampton) said Cllr Tipper’s comments were “an interesting approach”. Officers said they tried to do their best to ensure districts allocate housing in locations which are accessible via public transport.
Traffic and Transport assistant director Philip Williams said it is important to get this right “up stream” especially for people who have not got much of a choice about where they live.
“People in social housing, the housing that is provided and is available should be well connected,” he said.
Cllr Gill Moseley (LD, Newent) asked if farming communities should give up jobs on farms to live near a bus route. “Farmers don’t really have the choice to go to a particular location,” she said.
“The argument for choosing to live on a bus route is not as strong perhaps as the speaker would like it to be.” She said the need for new housing, particularly in rural areas, is leading to homes being built far from a frequent bus line.
But Cllr Sajid Patel (C, Barton and Tredworth) backed up his fellow Tory colleague’s comments.
He said parents should take more responsibility when considering where they send their children to school and how they will get there.
“I’m sorry but the reality is we all have a responsibility,” he said.
“Everything can’t be the job of the County Council.
“Parents also have a responsibility. When you choose the secondary school you want to send your children to, you have a choice.
“When you make that choice one of the things you have to consider is the transport arrangements.
“I know parents who send their children to Gloucestershire from outside the county on trains, buses and cars.
“If you’ve got parents who are committed to get kids into certain schools if they can make that responsibility, choice and effort, there does have to be an element of us all playing our part.
“As Brian said, it’s harsh but it is true.”
Cllr Turner replied saying it was “debatable”.