Parents furious at bus company's decision to scrap their children's school route
Parents have been left furious after a bus company announced the cancellation of a route that serves two schools.
Arriva has revealed plans to cancel the 521 service from Shrewsbury to Newport, used by a host of pupils who attend both Haberdashers' Adams and Newport Girls High School.
The decision is reportedly due to 'lost revenue'.
The route only operates in the morning and the afternoon – from Monday to Friday during term time.
The bus company planned to cancel the service in March – well before the end of the school year – but the schools have jointly stepped in to 'prop up' the service financially, making sure their pupils are not stranded.
A joint letter from both schools to affected parents outlines how the service will now continue to the end of the school year – and says plans are being looked at for the next school year.
Parents of children affected have praised the schools for stepping in to help, but have voiced anger at the decision from the bus company.
Several of the parents who have contacted the Shropshire Star questioned how the service can be losing revenue when they describe it as frequently over subscribed, with pupils having to stand due to a lack of seats.
Parents have also previously asked Arriva to put on a second bus on the route to prevent children having to stand for the journey.
Carol Davies, whose 13-year-old son uses the service, said it was "shocking" that the company had wanted to cancel a service "leaving children stranded, even though there's a multitude of term time passes in place that are valid until July".
