Parents urge transport bosses to improve bus services for school children

Families have raised concerns about the journey pupils will have to make to get from Swinley to Shevington High.

They say while there are good transport links to Standish High, including a dedicated bus service, youngsters are instead being offered places at Shevington due to the popularity of Standish.

But issues have been raised about the frequency of bus services between Swinley and Shevington High and the journey they will have to make.

Ian Jackson, of Kenyon Road, is worried about his 11-year-old daughter Lexlie Sinfield, who will go to Shevington in September after missing out on Standish.

He said: “The nearest bus stop to get her to school is at Wigan and Leigh College and it leaves at 7.30am. From where we are, she has a 10 to 15-minute walk along Bridgeman Terrace, at the side of the park, and will have to leave home at 7.15am. The bus journey is 55 minutes and it will be the same to get home from school.”

He says it will be dark when she leaves home for much of the school year, he has concerns about “stranger danger” during the walk and that it is a longer journey than same people face when travelling to work in Liverpool or Manchester.

Mr Jackson said: “The Standish school bus stops four doors up from our house. Obviously she is going to Shevington, but there doesn’t seem to be any yellow buses to Shevington.”

He is calling for a dedicated bus service from Swinley to Shevington High and believes more pupils will benefit from it in future.

“Swinley used to be a catchment area for Standish High School but with all the houses built in Standish, it’s full,” he said.

His neighbour Gareth Parkinson, whose son will be starting high school in two years said that while Standish High is “very well served” by public transport, including the yellow school bus, it is more difficult to get to Shevington High, with the options being an infrequent bus route that follows a loop or a walk to Wigan town centre to catch a different bus.

He said: “There needs to be better access to that particular school. It isn’t easy to get to in terms of public transport. I think if there was a dedicated bus route - which I know can be expensive - it would allow more students to go.”

Mr Parkinson said many parents were happy to send their children to Shevington High rather than Standish, but public transport options were a real issue.

Transport for Greater Manchester operates dedicated school bus services and is currently reviewing how it will run them in the next academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alison Chew, interim head of bus services, said: “Bus services play a vital role in supporting local schools and the communities they serve but the impact of coronavirus is likely to fundamentally change how people get to and from school for some time to come.

“There remains a lot of uncertainty regarding both the return to school in September and school transport, which we know is an additional worry for many people – particularly those who are expecting to be heading to secondary school for the first time.

“We are working closely with schools and local authorities to ensure whatever we put in place reflects the latest national guidance and remains suitable and safe for all.

“I appreciate parents and pupils will want some certainty and clarification around school transport and we will endeavour to keep them informed.”