Caithness school bus service re-instated after successful campaign by parents

A CAITHNESS school bus service, which was axed earlier this year, has been re-instated after a successful campaign by parents.

Youngsters, with no access to other transport, had to cross busy roads and junctions on a 45-minute walk from their homes in Scrabster to Thurso High school following the withdrawal of the Stagecoach service in January – but it was back in operation this week to coincide with the start of the new school term.

Gail Brown, who led the campaign along with other concerned parents, is delighted. "We are very happy and so relieved the kids will not have to face another winter walking to school in poor weather on a road which is very busy. We now have the same service as we had before and have around 12 youngsters taking the bus on a regular basis. They are able to use their under-22 bus passes to travel free," she said.

Mrs Brown, who has two boys at the high school, explained that the Stagecoach service runs five days a week and is linked to the company's bus routes to Dounreay and on a Friday afternoon to the buses operating to the Scrabster ferry terminal.

"We are very grateful to the people, organisations and the local councillors, especially Ron Gunn and Matthew Reiss who have helped us at various times. It has really worked out well," she said.

Mrs Brown, who lives with her husband and sons in West Gills, said the restoration of the bus run would reduce the number of cars taking pupils to the high school and would be "more environmentally-friendly."

"It is a good thing all round," she added.

Parents mounted the campaign after the service was withdrawn. Fifty households from West Gills, Burnside and Scrabster signed a letter to Highland Council and asked for the road to be reviewed on safety grounds but they were informed it was deemed a safe walking route after a review by officials. Parents were told the route would not qualify for free school transport provided by the council and they would have to work with local Highland councillors to try and get a commercial service reinstated.

The local authority will provide free school transport if pupils under the age of eight have to walk more than two miles each way. It will also be provided if pupils over eight have to walk three miles each way or if the route is assessed as unsafe for children to walk. The distance from Scrabster to the high school is less than three miles.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.