Pupils face two-mile walk to school after council rejects bus plea

Children in a Moray village face a walk of more than two miles to school every day, after councillors rejected a plea to reinstate a dedicated school bus.

Parents behind the petition claim the 50-minute walk from Portgordon to Buckie High School is unsafe - especially in the dark winter months.

However Moray Council said the route meets national safety guidance, including having a continuous footpath.

Campaigner Iona Shewan said the community was "frustrated" at the decision, and that children did not feel safe.

Shewan said Buckie High School was about two-and-a-half miles (4km) from the village.

"Our route takes you through the village and right on to a 60mph road along which we have the Moray coast on our left hand side, and just over a mile of that road is unlit," she told BBC Scotland News.

"It's quite a scary place to be especially in the dark winter months.

"On a beautiful day it's lovely to walk, but not for kids going to school. You're getting the Moray coast wind blasted off you on a not so nice day."

The dedicated bus service ended on Friday 27 March.

At a meeting on Tuesday, councillors rejected calls for its reinstatement.

After an assessment, council officers found that:

• There was a continuous footpath along the route
• Traffic volumes and speeds were within acceptable limits for safety
• There was no pattern of accidents indicating a specific risk to pedestrians.

The council decided there were no exceptional circumstances requiring a dedicated school bus service.

It said the decision reflected council's school transport policy, which provides free transport only where pupils live beyond set distances or where no safe walking route exists.

The local authority stressed alternative travel options were available, including local bus services and free travel for under-22s, as well as walking and cycling routes.

Shewen said the current bus service left the village just after 07:45, arriving in Buckie just before 08:00, with school starting at 08:45.

School finishes at 15:40, with the bus to Portgordon at about 16:25.

"So it's a long wait either side," she said, adding that buses could be cancelled at short notice.

"Some children have said that they feel unsafe travelling to and from school because of the world that we live in today.

"It's forcing parents that can drive and have transport to make that journey with their children.

"We are just so frustrated."

Local Buckie councillor Sonya Warren, whose ward includes Portgordon, added: "Rural communities face different challenges.

"I want to thank everyone who signed the petition, attended meetings, shared their experiences and spoke up on behalf of local young people. We will continue to press for the concerns raised by the Portgordon community to be heard."

Council leader Kathleen Robertson, said: "We fully understand the concerns raised by families and young people in Portgordon, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to engage with the petitions process.

"However, we have to apply our policy fairly and consistently across Moray.

"The evidence shows that the route meets national safety guidance when children are accompanied, and there are no exceptional factors that would justify reinstating a dedicated school bus."

She added: "We will continue to look at improvements to the route where possible and support families to make the safest travel choices for their children."