Parents in Windygates are celebrating a u-turn on bus pass provision which gives pupils a safe route to school.
Fife Council will give free bus passes to local youngsters travelling to the new Levenmouth Academy amid fears they would otherwise have to walk along poorly lit, narrow footpaths and cross the busy A915.
Parents had believed pupils would not be supplied with a bus pass because most of Windygates lies within two miles of the new school but the local authority now says transport will be provided until A915 crossings are improved.
Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth took up the case with Fife Council and also wrote to John Swinney MSP the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, raising serious concerns about safety of pupils.
She said: “I am hugely relieved that Fife Council has now reversed its decision and listened to the concerns of parents with regard to this route.
“It’s vitally important that every child in Mid Fife and Glenrothes, and across Scotland, has a route to school provided by the local authority that is safe and has the confidence of parents, the local community and the pupils themselves.
“That wasn’t the case for the community in Windygates until now and I’m glad that the focus for parents can be on supporting their children’s learning rather than worrying about the safety of the route to and from school.”
Local parent Laura Anderson, who has one child already attending the new school and a younger child at primary, added: “After months of worry, I am glad that Fife Council have finally recognised the major safety issue for Windygates children having to walk to the new school.
“Also, for myself and other parents, having the financial strain of buying travel passes each term, in some cases for more than one child, in order for their children to attend their catchment area school was ridiculous.”
Neil Finnie, senior compliance officer at Fife Council said it was not the case that parents had been advised the route was available and subsequently told that it was not.
He said: “The safety of pupils is extremely important which is why we’ve taken the decision to provide transport on this particular route due to the limited crossing opportunities on the A915, identified when the route was assessed as part of the merging of Buckhaven and Kirkland High Schools.
“The assessment of the area took some time to complete and parents/carers have now been updated on the outcome of this.”
