Stagecoach Apologises for Leaving Highland Pupils in Freezing Cold
Stagecoach has issued an apology after pupils were left waiting in freezing conditions for their school transport in Perth
Perth, Scotland, Stagecoach, School Transport, Pupils, Councillor
Perth: Last week, students from Perth High School were left out in the freezing cold while waiting for their bus. Can you imagine? Sub-zero temperatures and no sign of their ride!
Stagecoach, the transport company, said they had some technical issues and a lot of staff were out sick. That’s why the kids were late getting to school and coming home.
A local councillor was not happy at all. They called the number of bus breakdowns in such a short time “completely unacceptable.”
To make matters worse, one bus broke down on Thursday, leaving kids stranded for 45 minutes. And on Friday, buses were running about 40 minutes late. Talk about a rough week!
These delays happened both in the morning and afternoon. If a bus is late or cancels, there are financial penalties for the company. So, it’s a big deal.
Perth and Kinross Council had a sit-down with Stagecoach East to talk about what’s been going on. A spokesperson from Stagecoach said they really do apologize to the students and parents affected.
They mentioned that staff sickness and the cold weather were causing problems with their buses. They promised to send replacement vehicles as quickly as they could.
Stagecoach operates 43 school contracts daily from their Perth depot, and usually, things run smoothly. They have a plan in place to keep parents and students updated when issues arise.
A council spokesperson added that they understand how crucial reliable school transport is for families. They met with Stagecoach to discuss the problems, which they linked to staff absences and technical issues with electric and hybrid buses in the cold.
They agreed that Stagecoach would update their processes to help their staff respond better when buses break down.
Local councillors have been hearing a lot of complaints from parents about the bus service. Councillor Angus Forbes said it’s just not acceptable for so many breakdowns to happen in such a short time, especially with exams coming up.