Calls for extra school buses made by parents and Esher and Walton MP

In December, the county council said it would axe free school buses running from Molesey to Esher High School.

In its place the children were advised to “bring torches” and “suitable footwear”‘ to cross the dark alleyways, open fields and unguarded viaduct sluice gates, after the move was made in a money saving initiative.

This emerged just one month after the council issued a statement about how it was given more than £12 million from the government to “boost bus services in Surrey.”

Now, desperate parents have started a petition calling on some of that money to be put towards increasing the 814 bus between the two towns – as the service is already often overcrowded – and that’s before all the extra children who used to be provided with free buses are added.

The free buses were introduced years ago and have been part of the Molesey fabric ever since the town’s high school was closed with the children moved to Esher High.

Andrew Dillon has had enough of the council’s’ “cruel and needless” inflexibility over the matter and has started a petition to get pupils to school safely.

The lack of bus space has also been picked up by the MP for Esher and Walton, Monica Harding who has been pressing county leader Tim Oliver to step in and do something.

Mr Dillon, said: “The basic problem we have is it’s cruel and needless and they are being so inflexible over this.

“They’ve suddenly discovered this so-called safe path, which only relates to safety involving vehicles. It’s punishment for children because of Surrey’s massive debt problems.

“We were being advised to go to Kingston and then get a second bus and a long walk

He said there had been 27 violent and sexual crimes in and around the route but even that hasn’t been enough to stop the council’s plans.

He added: “We got no reaction to that. The idea of safety is just laughable.”

The father of three said the extra paid-for buses need to be put in place to cope with the expected surge in demand.

He said: “If there were already enough buses Surrey County Council wouldn’t have had to put on the extra free buses.

“The idea behind the petition is to highlight that if this service goes and there’s no expansion of 814 services, kids will be left stranded.

“Attendance and punctuality at Esher High will plummet, kids will be late for lessons and classes disrupted. It will be a serious blow to the health of the school.

“It’s appalling what they are trying to do – they are trying to cut the service but they are making no provision to increase the capacity.”

Writing to the leader of Surrey County Council, Councillor Tim Oliver, the Esher and Walton MP described the transport situation for the pupils as worrying all round, and not only for those 81 pupils directly impacted, but also for those families that will experience the consequent surge in demand on the 814 bus route.

She wrote: “The withdrawal of assistance and the dirty, isolated, and unlit ‘safe walking route’ proffered as an alternative by the council risks impacting the safety of pupils, the ability to get to work of parents, and the strong attendance and pupil recruitment rates of Esher CofE High.

“Additionally, I am concerned that negative ramifications will arise due to increased demand for the 814 Bus Route and the council’s decision not to expand the service.”

According to the MP the county has offered to work with the school on a travel plan but she warns that it should not be a substitute for greater capacity on the 814 Route.

Mrs Harding added “I am therefore requesting that you and other relevant officials work with me and key stakeholders to find solutions to these problems – whether that is by increasing capacity on the 814 Route or exploring other mitigating measures.

“I would be very grateful also if you would meet with me to discuss this further.

A spokesperson for Surrey County Council said: “We are aware of the challenges that have been raised and are reviewing them carefully.

“We will be able to update further in due course.”