The Big Walk - Save our School Bus

I was extremely proud to join the parents and students of North Petherton on their protest walk to school. For those of you who don't know, North Petherton has no secondary school. All of the students (some 80 young people) have to travel almost 3 miles to the Robert Blake Science College in Bridgwater.

Somerset County Council recently ruled the footpaths from the Town to the school represent a safe route for 11 - 16 year olds to walk. Luckily for us it wasn't raining on Tuesday. the walk takes a minimum of 50 minutes. The Council's evaluation stated that the route was safe provided the children wore high viz jackets, carried a torch (their is no street lighting) and are accompanied by an adult. so, parents are expected to walk an hour each way to ensure their child gets to school safely.

Having walked the route I cannot see how it can, on a reasonable evaluation, be deemed safe. Narrow footpaths (blocked by rubbish bins on a Monday), uncontrolled road crossings, an uncontrolled crossing point at the Huntworth roundabout (junction 24 of the M5), heavy lorries thundering past, poor visibility on corners all add up to an unsafe route.

This shows one of the dozens of Hinckley Nuclear Plant construction lorries at an uncontrolled junction the students are required to cross, twice a day.

You can see how close the lorries come.

You can see how walking along a crowded path, and don't forget some parents will have pushchairs with their younger children with them.

This is apparently a safe crossing point.....

Parents have appealed against the loss of free transport.

The fight goes on.

If you want to support us, write to Councillor Frances Nicholson the portfolio holder for school transport, or your local County Councillor, or your MP.