Council, Bartholomew School and Residents join forces to resolve school transport issue in Long Hanborough

Residents, parents and Bartholomew School in West Oxfordshire have worked with Oxfordshire County Council to improve school transport arrangements between Long Hanborough and Bartholomew School.

Since September a shuttle service had been provided but this had not been working as all parties would have wished.

Officers from the County Council, the local County Councillor Liam Walker, Stagecoach, the Parent Group from Hanborough, Bartholomew School, representatives of Hanborough Parish Council and officers from the council have each been discussing how best to make improvements in recent weeks.

In the end it was agreed that the option of a coach service to replace the current shuttle service was the best option.

Oxfordshire County Council has now agreed a way forward that will see a 75-seater bus run by Walters Coaches that undertaking a single journey to and from school. The current Cassington bus will be increased to a 76-seater bus.

Over coming weeks county council officers will formalise these arrangements contractually and assign the children to one of the three buses that will now be running through the village. They will then be able to communicate the arrangements and produce bus passes for the children. The new arrangement will come in to place on January 4.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, said: “This is a common sense solution that has been reached collaboratively by the county council and local residents. I’d like to join the local county councillor Liam Walker in thanking the Parent Group in Hanborough for their input along with Hanborough Parish Council. Bartholomew School and Stagecoach have also been very helpful.”