Several school bus routes in Dundee are set to change later this month but what does this mean for pupils in the city?
From Monday February 28, a new set of school bus services will connect pupils to Baldragon Academy, Harris Academy and St Paul’s Academy.
Along with a mix of normal journeys on commercial routes, Xplore Dundee will operate seven dedicated routes on behalf of Dundee City Council serving schools with larger-than-average catchment areas.
The current buses to Harris Academy will be withdrawn and replaced by a new network designed to cover more ground and boost capacity to meet extra demand generated by the under-22s free travel scheme.
The links to Baldragon and St Paul’s Academies will not change but the routes will be updated.
What bus routes are changing?
Current services to Harris Academy – 23s, 27s, 28s and 29s – will be withdrawn and replaced with a new network of services.
These new services will be:
- 4s to/from Dryburgh (via Lochee and Menzieshill)
- 5/5a to/from Barnhill (via Broughty Ferry, the City Centre and West End)
- 5s to/from Gowrie Park (via Menzieshill)
- 6s to/from Charleston (via Menzieshill and Pentland)
- 10 to/from Lochee (via Charleston, Ninewells Hospital and West End)
- 10s to/from The Glens (via Charleston and Menzieshill)
The updated routes are below:
St Paul’s Academy will be served by the following services:
- 10 to/from Broughty Ferry (via Douglas, Whitfield and Fintry)
- 10 to/from Ninewells Hospital (via Charleston, Lochee and St Marys)
- 14s to/from Douglas (via Mid-Craigie and Linlathen)
- 17s to/from Whitfield (via Fintry)
- 18 to/from Claverhouse (via Kirkton)
- 18 to/from the City Centre (via Coldside and Fairmuir)
- 18s to/from the Western Gateway (via Ardler and St Marys)
The route for these services is below:
The services 10 and 18s will also serve Baldragon Academy.
The route for the 18s is below:
Why the changes?
The changes are being brought in to meet the anticipated extra demand for bus services following the introduction of the under-22s free travel scheme.
The scheme began on January 31 and means young people aged between five and 21 living in Scotland are now entitled to free bus travel.
To travel for free, children and young people will need either a new Young Scot card or a National Entitlement Card from Transport Scotland. Old cards will not work.
Children aged under five are already entitled to free bus travel.
The full timetable for the updated services can be found here .
