Completed petition School Buses For School Children
We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to ensure every child's safety is put first when traveling to and from school.
We want designated school buses so children can travel safely to and from school, each with a seat and seat belt, with no child forced to travel on overcrowded public buses. Children's safety must come first.
Our children have a right to feel safe. Public buses can become over crowded. We have no clue who may board a public bus. Public buses are for public use not school transport. We are not asking for this service to be free, We don't want something for nothing, Just peace of mind that our children are safe when traveling to and from school. We teach our children about stranger danger yet we are expected to send them on a public bus full of strangers daily.
Having lost my daughter under the wheels of a public bus she had travelled home from school in, I feel it's only a matter of time before another parent lives my nightmare if something isn't done to ensure children have a safe means of transport to and from school.
More details
A lot of people will remember my Daughter Louise and the horrific way she lost her life. For those that don't, Louise was 11 years old and had not long started high school. Because of the distance to get to school my children relied on using a public bus. On the 19th March 2001 Louise was due home from Connah's Quay High school at her normal time, only this day the bus was late. I started to worry as I headed out the door I was greeted by Louise's friends telling me she had been run over. I ran to the end of my street to find my beautiful Daughter clinging to life in the road, distressed school children all around. I couldn't understand what had happened. Over months it emerged the bus Louise had travelled home from had been over crowded, adults had stood talking to the driver, there was an alleged push, also a mention her bag had got caught in the door or wheel causing her to be dragged under the bus she had just alighted from, it was proven the mirrors had blind spots that had been a contributing factor.
After the decision to close a local school, John Summers High School, a lot of parents have spoken to me with concerns for their Child's safety travelling on public buses to and from school. Points have been raised that totally alarm me, So I'm heading a campaign in my Daughter's name to make sure no Child is forced to use public transport buses as school transport.
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