Registered local bus services which call into school grounds

[Martin1988]

Something I'm really curious about. In cases where a registered local bus service calls into school grounds, is an operator free to make the decision to have the service stop inside the school grounds or do they have to obtain permission from the school to do this first? Or is it generally the case that when a service is registered to stop in school grounds it is done at the request of the school and possibly the local authority in the first place?

 

[Mwanesh]

Its the school who makes the decision.Basingstoke has thr Bishop Challoner services that terminate in the school grounds there is also the Hurst school in Baughurst where the kids are supervised by teachers when boarding.I cant remember the other school and there is also Quens Mary College that go into the college grounds

 

[alex397]

I have been on ordinary public bus routes which even stop in primary school grounds, with the children using it unsupervised (teachers supervising boarding), which I find very surprising. I wonder if the parents realise that the routes i've been on are actually public bus routes rather than school buses (as you know what parents can be like!).

 

[Jordan Adam]

Fairly common in towns where the Secondary school and community centre are combined. Ellon Academy being a good example where a number of services service it through the day (49, 50, 54/54A & 61).

 

[Cesarcollie]

But unless the general public are allowed into the school grounds, the route (or that section of it) cannot claim BSOG as it is only available to schoolchildren.

 

[Andyh82]

But unless the general public are allowed into the school grounds, the route (or that section of it) cannot claim BSOG as it is only available to schoolchildren.

In most cases ‘the school grounds’ is a turning circle 2 metres off the road so I’m not sure it’d make much difference.

You do also get regular public buses that terminate at a school in the afternoon, when it is a short journey of what is usually a longer journey, where a bus drops out to do a school run. I do presume that if the public travelled to the end, they’d actually be dropped off outside.

 

[Ianno87]

All the school services at my secondary school (subsidised by then GMPTE) were registered as normal local services, which anybody could use in theory (GMPTE even pointed out that you could), although it only happened very occasionally on my service in practice.

No 'normal' passenger ever stayed on into the school grounds (there were bus lanes where services terminated and started), nor attempted to board there.

 

[Statto]

There's one in Runcorn on Southern section of the Busway towards the Arriva depot, Halton Transport buses think call there, don't think Arriva call there, like a mini bus station with sawtooth type of stands but no shelters

 

[Flange Squeal]

Quality Line TfL route 467 (Epsom to Hook) has school day journeys which extend to serve Hinchley Wood School. In the morning it drops off on school grounds but only just off the road, however in the afternoon it actually departs from the playground. Cardinal Buses 661 has the same arrangements. The drivers open the playground gates themselves to get the bus in, closing them behind them. The teachers then reopen them once the kids start coming out.

 

[Belperpete]

Once, when travelling from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, the bus I was on pulled into a school playground to pick up the children leaving school. Plenty of ordinary passengers already on the bus. I suppose it was safer for the children to get on supervised by the teachers in the playground, than traipse down the road to the nearest stop.

 

[Bwsbro]

Once, when travelling from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, the bus I was on pulled into a school playground to pick up the children leaving school. Plenty of ordinary passengers already on the bus. I suppose it was safer for the children to get on supervised by the teachers in the playground, than traipse down the road to the nearest stop.

Its quite common in North Wales for many years, One the one hand the guaranteed school revenue would help to fund some marginal routes, secondly in times of austerity. It is cheaper for the Council to pay a de minis payment to the local operator to carry school pupils with a slight diversion onto school grounds or nearby bus stop, rather than paying (most times the same operator) for a dedicate school bus service.

 

[Typhoon]

I have been on ordinary public bus routes which even stop in primary school grounds, with the children using it unsupervised (teachers supervising boarding), which I find very surprising. I wonder if the parents realise that the routes i've been on are actually public bus routes rather than school buses (as you know what parents can be like!).

One example in Kent is the 638 which stops in the grounds of Hernhill Primary School, much safer than the narrow roads (largely without pavements) prevalent in the area. Parents should be aware that members of the public use the bus as they are eagerly waiting for the return of their offspring by the roadside in the next villages. Number of children who use it, something like a dozen, certainly not worth a school bus.

 

[gnolife]

All the school services at my secondary school (subsidised by then GMPTE) were registered as normal local services, which anybody could use in theory (GMPTE even pointed out that you could), although it only happened very occasionally on my service in practice.

No 'normal' passenger ever stayed on into the school grounds (there were bus lanes where services terminated and started), nor attempted to board there.

For my schoolbus, it was marketed as one for two different schools (Brookway and ACA) and there was also reasonable use by adults making journeys from Wythenshawe to Timperley

 

[alex397]

One example in Kent is the 638 which stops in the grounds of Hernhill Primary School, much safer than the narrow roads (largely without pavements) prevalent in the area. Parents should be aware that members of the public use the bus as they are eagerly waiting for the return of their offspring by the roadside in the next villages. Number of children who use it, something like a dozen, certainly not worth a school bus.

That was one that I was thinking of.

There is also Stagecoach 18 (Hythe-Canterbury) which diverts into the Simon Langton Boys School on the outskirts of Canterbury on schooldays, it literally drives into the school grounds and stops in the playground (with all the other special schoolday-only services). The buses are mostly shuttles to the bus station, so as many kids get on as possible! After going to the Bus Station, it returns to Hythe calling into the school again, to pick up the kids going to specific destinations on the route.

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks to those that have taken the time to respond to me.

I'm pretty sure that there used to be a journey on the 41 Malmesbury to Yate route that called into Chipping Sodbury School on the way to Yate and as such was used by school pupils but I've got a feeling that arrangement stopped about 5 years ago when the 41 was cut back and the earlier journey to Yate was removed. Remember in the consultation document produced by Wiltshire Council outlining the changes they stated that South Glos Council would be asked to make alternative arrangements for school passengers.

 

[Typhoon]

There is also Stagecoach 18 (Hythe-Canterbury) which divert into the Simon Langton Boys School on the outskirts of Canterbury on schooldays, it literally drives into the school grounds and stops in the playground (with all the other special schoolday-only services). The buses are mostly shuttles to the bus station, so as many kids get on as possible! After going to the Bus Station, it returns to Hythe calling into the school again, to pick up the kids going to specific destinations on the route.

I've been on it - best avoided!
Other schools where this happens - Mascalls School (Paddock Wood): Arriva 6 (packed out last time I went on it) and Autocar 205 pass through the school grounds. Very well organised, no messing about.
Homewood School (o/s Tenterden): Busier than a bus station. Arriva 12, Stagecoach 2 and 2A pass through school grounds, 297 starts/ finishes there as well as stacks of school buses.

Service buses used to pass through Towers School in Ashford but maybe no longer?

 

[Eyersey468]

Some of East Yorkshire's service 155 journeys call into South Hunsley School, I presume this is at the request of the school

 

[Wirewiper]

In Reading, one afternoon journey on route 16 from Purley towards Central Reading pulls into Denefield School to pick up (the morning journey doesn't call in at it stops on the same side of the road as the school).

The 2 and later 25 had journeys calling into Chiltern Edge School in Sonning Common, but nowadays the school is served by dedicated school routes.

 

[matt_world2004]

On some buses that serve school grounds in TfL land. Tfl get some quite frankly bizarre requests from the schools. But most of the times the school staff are really good at maintaining discipline among their pupils and ensuring the pupils board correctly.

 

[Martin1988]

I seem to remember once going on a journey on the old 635 Chippenham to Bristol route which didn't show in the timetable as running all the way to Bristol but which was split into two separate journeys and with part of the route acting as a school bus with the bus calling into Sheldon School in Chippenham en-route.

Remember all the other passengers being school pupils and they seemed surprised that there was a member of the public on board

 

[SeveerYeliab]

10A ashford to Folkestone goes into brockhill park in the morning but not in the afternoon. Also their Stagecoach school buses do this, but the 10A has many members of the public on, and operates mon - sat