This petition was submitted by Lynne Chick, having collected 1,239 signatures - 502 on paper and 737 on-line.

Text of the Petition

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.

Additional Information

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.

Passengers on a bus

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 09/07/2019.

The Committee considered further correspondence from the Minister for Economy and Transport and from the petitioner and agreed to close the petition, given that there appears to be little further action that it is able to take in relation to this issue. In doing so, the Committee wished to express its sincere sympathies to the petitioner and to share details of the petition with the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 04/04/2017.

Assembly Constituency and Region

• Alyn and Deeside
• North Wales

Further information

• Learn more about the Assembly’s petitions process
• Sign an e-petition
• How the petitions system works