A REQUEST by several families living in Starcross for Devon County Council (DCC) to divert a school bus route allowing for their children to travel to school by public transport has been deemed ‘not feasible’.
The families, who all live in the southern part of Starcross and have children who attend Kenton Primary School, pushed for the current bus route, which travels between Kenton and Hopes Church, the temporary home of Kenton school following last year’s floods, via The Strand to be diverted through New Road.
At present the bus does stop at Starcross railway station, but this does not ‘best serve the Kenton pupils who reside in the south of Staross’ says Christopher Ash, one of the parents pushing DCC for change.
‘No pupils, board or alight the Kenton school bus at Starcross train station’ Christopher said.
‘This train station stop has no benefit to the pupils who live in Starcross - it is not being used.
‘This time of year our children would get soaked, wet and cold before getting to school if they were too walk to the suggested bus stop, at the train station, on the other side of the village from where we, all three families, live’ he added.
It is roughly a ten minute walk from where the families reside and Starcross railway station, an easily doable distance for sure, but more than enough time for the families’ children to get cold and wet before school.
Alas, Christopher and the other families’ request to divert the bus route proved unsuccessful, with Christopher being told that the bus company is ‘not keen taking a detour off the main road’ and that the proposed road is a ‘difficult one to drive another bus down’ and will ‘cause more congestion’.
‘We have informed the parents who made this request that unfortunately, because of timings, it is not feasible to divert the bus from its current route and add an additional stop’ a spokesperson for Devon County Council said.
In response to Devon County Council, Christopher said: ‘A number of known, large community buses drive and use the requested route.
‘If the bus were to travel via New Road, not out of its way and still in the direction of Hope Church, for our children it would only add a few minutes to the entire journey, helping assist several Starcross families get their children to schoo.’