Well that may very well be the case when the County is distributing largesse, but it is certainly not so when they are trying to penny pinch. In what must be the ultimate example of a postcode lottery, and recipe for social divisiveness, some 13 families in Acton, living to the East of the village, have received letters telling them that the hard won bus passes that mean free travel to All Saints Middle School are to be withdrawn in September. What is more they were told that there was no right of appeal for 5 years! By which time of course it is quite possible that the school will be gone!
It seems that some jobsworth at the County has discovered that these few families in the village live just within the three mile limit which means that transport must be paid for. Acton Lane, the most direct route to the school, has already been judged too dangerous , so our inventive bureaucrat has devised a route of great ingenuity and complete impracticality. This goes along a road with a 60mph limit and no footpath, through Great Waldingfield, down to the Homebase roundabout and up through the new development to the School. They have added that children using the route should be accompanied by an adult! This is completely nonsensical of course; how many parents have the time to walk 12 miles a day to accompany their children to school? More cars and pollution will of course be the inevitable result.
The rules with regard to free transport to school are arbitrary and unrealistic and should be changed. in order to encourage bus travel when appropriate and yes, walking when feasible. What really enrages me about this however is the secret decision making and mean minded discrimination against a small group of families who happen to live 100 yards or so too close to a particular school.
Luckily Colin Spence, our County Councillor, who was not informed about any of this, has moved rapidly to have the decision with regard to the right to appeal overturned. This means that the families affected will now have the chance to have their voices heard so well done Colin!
There is as a result of Colin's actions, some sign that common sense might yet prevail....but it worries me very much that anyone thought that this sort of high handed, secretive, decision making could be acceptable in today’s society.
