A BUS timetable that sees pupils from Ormiston arrive at Ross High School more than 20 minutes before the start of the school day will remain under review, East Lothian Council has said, after renewed complaints from parents.
A parent living in the village and sending her children to the Tranent school has complained that the public transport option means they arrive “ridiculously early” and has asked why it has never been changed, despite the issue being raised on more than one occasion in recent years.
Pupils in S1 to S4 travelling from the village make use of a designated Eve Coaches service, route 165, which departs Ormiston Main Street at 7.50am and arrives at the school at 8.05am.
A parent of a pupil who has just started S1 at Ross High School contacted Eve Coaches to ask for the reasoning behind the timetable.
They said: “It is ridiculously early for an 8.30am school start.
“I attended a meeting in Ormiston Library a number of years ago about the time of the buses and nothing has changed.”
The return journey leaves at 3.25pm Monday to Thursday, and at 12.15pm on Friday to accommodate the early finish.
On the first day of term, instead of the 7.50am scheduled departure time, the bus left at 7.45am, meaning some pupils narrowly missed their intended transport option.
Members of East Lothian Council’s transport team investigated the incident and it was found that it was “the result of human error”, as an incorrect work ticket had been issued to the driver.
The concerns regarding the timetable were also forwarded to Douglas Alexander MP and Paul McLennan MSP, whose teams both contacted the local authority to raise the issue.
The council responded to Mr Alexander that the 7.50am departure time had been “a longstanding concern for some parents”.
The council is “currently in discussions with the operator” regarding the arrangements and journey times.
They were established during the original Home to School Transport procurement process.
The council’s response continued: “We appreciate that the journey time itself is relatively short and understand the concerns raised regarding pupils arriving at school significantly ahead of the start of the school day.
“As part of our ongoing discussions with the operator, we will continue to review these arrangements where opportunities arise.”
The schedule is formally reviewed each time the contract is renewed and retendered in line with the local authority’s legal obligations.
The current contract is due to expire next year, at which point the route and operating arrangements “will be considered as part of the procurement process”, the council said.
They added that a range of factors were considered when reviewing transport schedules, including overall network efficiency, vehicle utilisation, contract requirements, operational practicality and the safe transportation of pupils.
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