Tollcross Mums' Fury Over Cancelled School Bus Route

A group of mums who live on the Fullarton Park estate in Tollcross say Glasgow City Council is putting their children's lives at risk.

The council has cancelled a bus route from the estate to Trinity High School in Cambuslang meaning eleven pupils will now need to walk over two miles to school.

Our reporter Lizzie Parker went to speak to them:

The mums say the route which passes along an M74 slip road on a busy junction by Tollcross Industrial estate is dangerous but a council safety check said it was suitable for the high school students to walk through.

It's part of council cost-saving measures which mean the distance a pupil must live from school to be entitled to free transport has increased. It's up to 3 miles from 2.2 miles for secondary school pupils and 2 miles from 1.2 miles primary school pupils.

But the council's policy also states free transport will be provided to pupils living closer if there is no safe alternative.

Councillor Stephen Curran, Executive Member for Education and Young People said: “All the safe route to school inspections have been concluded now. “The changes to free school transport eligibility were agreed at the council’s budget meeting in February and is still below the statutory obligation. “The saving will be used to retain the number of teachers in our schools. “We have communicated with parents over these changes. Where there are no safe routes to school – regardless of the distance – free school transport will remain.”