Pupil says 25-minute bus journey now takes an hour

A 13-year-old girl is spending two hours a day on a school bus following a timetable change for the new academic year.

Isla, from a village in rural Lincolnshire, takes the bus to King Edward VI Grammar School in Louth and has seen her journey time rise from 25 minutes to an hour each way.

Her mother, Clare, said the new timetable was "failing the children of the village".

Mike Read, head of transport services at Lincolnshire County Council, said the local authority was waiting for evidence from the family, but the change had been made as part of a review designed to help ease congestion and pick up more children in the village.

Last year, Isla's morning bus journey took 25 minutes, but an initial proposed change by the council would have seen it extended to 75 minutes.

That plan was revised following concerns raised by parents, but the current timetable sees the journey taking an hour.

By car, the journey takes about 20 minutes.

Department for Education guidance states that secondary school pupils should generally spend no more than 75 minutes travelling to school each way, including walking to a pick-up point, although exceptions can apply in rural areas.

Clare said her initial reaction to the timetable was one of "absolute horror".

"You wouldn't ask adults to travel that kind of time to and from work, let alone come home and do homework," she said.

Clare said the journey would leave Isla, who has additional needs, feeling tired and with less time to relax and do homework after school.

"She needs a bit of extra downtime and isn't great with change," Clare added.

Isla said the longer journey meant she could no longer attend a weekly tennis coaching session in Grimsby.

"I'm really upset because I can't do my extracurricular activities," she said, adding there were other pupils affected, too.

King Edward VI Grammar School said it sympathised with children affected by long journeys to school, but added that transport arrangements were the responsibility of the council.

Lincolnshire County Council said: "The longer journey was the result of changes made to address congestion in Louth and rising demand for school transport, with the revised route serving additional villages."

The local authority said the journey remained within Department for Education guidance, and the route would be reviewed with the operator once the service had settled in.

Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, and watch thelatest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices