Fury has erupted over Angus Council plans to cut a school bus service and make youngsters tackle a near four-mile daily round trip alongside a “dangerous” 60 miles per hour road.
And one enraged parent who fought hard for school transport from Muirdrum to Carnoustie has also attacked education chiefs for considering asking kids as young as four to cross a junction which The Courier highlighted just days ago over a string of ‘video nasty’ road incidents.
Muirdrum parents have received a letter setting out the authority’s plan to consult on the removal of the school bus from August.
It states that the council has recently completed a footway from the village to Carlogie Road in Carnoustie using almost £50,000 of Cycling Walking Safer Streets funding, and has declared it a safe route to both the town’s High School and Carlogie primary.
Local mum Sarah Rennie, who has a child at each of the schools, said she was staggered when the letter arrived.
“I am absolutely outraged that they are even considering this,” said Mrs Rennie, whose 10-year-old son Stephen will face a 1.5 mile walk to primary, while daughter Siobhan, 12, will be asked to trek over 1.8 miles.
“This is a 60mph road, they will have to cross it at least twice at various points and it has no lights on most of it so it will be especially dangerous in the dark during the winter.
“Some of the children will also have to cross near the junction in Muirdrum village which has recently been highlighted as the scene of near misses.”
She added: “I have walked down that path many a time to Carnoustie and I don’t feel safe at all so I find it incredible that they are even thinking about removing the bus and asking children to walk down to it.
“I am appalled and saddened that I am having to even respond to the council on such a ludicrous idea.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: “Transport is currently in place as there had been no safe route to school.
“Now, a footpath and dedicated safe route to the schools has recently been established, courtesy of £48,000 of Cycling Walking Safer Streets funding.
“Accordingly, we have contacted families in the area to seek their views about the removal of school transport later this year and we look forward to receiving their comments directly.”
Alan Berg from Muirdrum recently highlighted the danger posed at the village crossroads in a series of video clips which included one motorist careering through the give way at speed and a van driver skidding to a halt after apparently being caught out while he was on his mobile phone.
