Row over return bus trip costs pupils (From Gazette Series)

Row over return bus trip costs pupils

SCHOOL CHILDREN in the Sharpness area are being forced to pay for a return ticket to school, even if they only travel one way.

Pupils travelling between Sharpness and Kingswood were met with the 100 per cent increase in their fare when they returned to school earlier this month.

Before the summer break, pupils going to Katherine Lady Berkeley's (KLB) school in Wotton were paying £1.40 each way but a compulsory return ticket has now been introduced, doubling the cost of travel to £2.80.

This means, even if a child is only catching the bus service in one direction they still have to pay for a return ticket.

Emma Hunt, 13, from Sharpness, is a pupil at KLB and told the Gazette she was outraged.

"I was infuriated to find out that the price of the usual £1.40 had been doubled," she said.

"I have a brother who also goes on the bus so that is even more money. It's £5.60 a day for both of us and that means it is going to be nearly £1,000 a year."

The school bus service running between Sharpness and Kingswood, taking children to KLB, is operated by Berkeley-based Applegates Coaches.

Owner Edward Frank Applegate defended the increase saying the service was not proving profitable.

He said: "It is what we call a return fare complete.

"There are so many that ignore the bus in the morning and take their children themselves to school but come the afternoon they want the bus to be there.

"They pay it or loose it, it's as simple as that," he added.

However Emma claims students have their reasons for only using the bus in one direction and says it is unfair that those left should have to pay the difference.

She said: "Many people choose not to take the morning bus because of the early mornings and other reasons and choose to have someone take them to school. "This is preposterous."

She also claimed that the level of service provided by Applegate was not satisfactory.

She said: "There is actually mould growing from our bus. This is disgusting.

"There is food spilt on the floor they won't even bother to clean up."

She also claimed that many of the drivers on the route talked on mobile phones whilst driving.

But Mr Applegate believes the mess is the children's own making, he said: "There are signs up that say no eating at all times but they do. They stamp it into the ground.

"We clean the coaches every day. I have a lady that does it and a gentleman who washes them.

"As for the phones I will look into it, but all my drivers have those ear phones.

"I drive the buses myself a lot of the time and I haven't found anything wrong."