A teenager from Errol fears he will miss his school exams if Stagecoach axe all of their commercial bus services through his village.
Lachlan Sinclair, 15, is relying on the 16 bus to take him for his National 5 exams next month at Perth High.
But Stagecoach plan to axe the route as part of their proposals to decimate their service across Perth and Kinross.
Exams are set to start on April 22 and the Stagecoach changes will come into effect on April 29.
Lachlan claims the contracted school bus, also run by Stagecoach, is often late and doesn’t arrive until 9am – meaning he would miss his morning exams.
“I won’t be able to get to my exams on time because the contracted school bus is late at least once a week,” he told The Courier.
“So I would have to get the earlier 16. That would mean if it got cancelled I wouldn’t be able to go to my exams at all.
“It’s happened before at prelims in December and the bus was 20 minutes late, I walked into the exam 20 minutes late.
“There would be practically no way to get to the school on time.”
‘Takes away their independence’
Lachlan’s mum, Kirsten Sinclair, insists the proposals mean students living in the Carse of Gowrie area would not be able take part in after-school activities.
“The contracted bus picks them up from the school at 3.45pm and takes them back here because that’s when school finishes,” she said.
“But if you do any after-school activity of any description you have to make your own way home.
“So that means the kids have to get a bus from the high school into the centre of Perth and then the only bus that services the village is the 16. There’s no other choice.”
Kirsten called the proposals “disastrous”, saying they would take away her children’s independence.
“I’ve got three teenagers who all have free bus passes from the Scottish Government,” she told The Courier.
“They would have no social life outside the village, they won’t be able to do anything after school.
“They would rely on us ferrying them backwards and forwards when we can but we both work.
“It takes away all of their independence.”
Kirsten, who has lived in Errol for nearly 17 years, says she would consider moving if the cuts came into effect.
She added: “When we moved here there were all the amenities and buses available.
“We probably wouldn’t stay and I’m not sure why a lot of other people with teenage kids would want to stay here because they’re stuck in the village.
“Trapped with nothing to do when they are used to having something to do.”
Proposals must be withdrawn – John Swinney
John Swinney, Perthshire North MSP and former education secretary, told The Courier it was time for the bus company to withdraw their plans.
“If the proposals from Stagecoach go ahead, they will have an abrupt and direct impact on young people sitting their exams this year,” he said.
“Young people will quite simply not be able to get to their exams.
“That is a manifest unfairness and injustice and is one of the many good reasons why Stagecoach should withdraw these proposals.
“Young people have had a hard time due to Covid.
“They should not be further punished by bus service cuts that add to their worries in advance of their exams.”
On Wednesday, Perth and Kinross councillors agreed to ask the Scottish Government to intervene.
The public consultation by the bus company is currently set to end on March 10, with the chief executive of the local authority due to meet with Stagecoach on Friday.
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