A PUBLIC transport company has apologised for using airport shuttle buses that have few seats on a school run from Chobham.
The Route 87 service to Collingwood College is run by Diamond Buses, which used HeathrowHoppa buses for the run on seven days last month.
Several parents of pupils at the secondary school complained to the company and Surrey County Council, which awards contracts for school bus service.
The grandmother of a Chobham pupil said: “The children were put on a Heathrow luggage bus and most had to stand for a 40-minute journey. This has huge health and safety implications.”
Complaints were taken up by Surrey Heath MP Michael Gove, Chobham’s county councillor Richard Tear and parish councillor Emma Kennedy.
“Diamond provided the wrong type of bus on several occasions and have apologised for that,” said Cllr Tear. They explained to Michael Gove that two of their buses were damaged in a flood and had electrical problems. Because of this they had to use Hoppa buses on Route 87.
“The route is a public service that anyone can use, so it is permissible to have standing passengers. However, it’s below the expected standards for school routes and is not acceptable.”
Councillors Tear and Kennedy are also investigating why most parents of Collingwood pupils who live in Chobham have to pay £10 a week for the bus service, while families who live nearer the school pay nothing.
“The route from Chobham to Camberley picks up in Lightwater, where there is no charge for the bus,” said Cllr Kennedy. “West End children also do not have to pay to go to Collingwood.
“This is absolutely wrong. Most of the Chobham pupils have been assigned the school and did not choose it as their first secondary school option so they should also get free transport.”
Diamond Buses, which runs several public and school services in West Surrey, took over Route 87 at the beginning of the current school year.