Angry parents have blasted a council decision to ban Perthshire pupils from taking the bus to their after schools sports club.
Pupils at Logiealmond Primary School are being forced to trail the school bus for five miles in their parents’ car to attend the club at Glenalmond College.
The after school sports club was only established this term and is run by a parent volunteer every Monday.
Logiealmond Parents’ Group member Keesje Crawford-Avis said: “Since the after school club began, all pupils involved have been travelling directly to Glenalmond on the council bus, as it makes sense to do so since the bus goes there, anyway.
“Now, the council transport department have ruled that this is to be banned with immediate effect and that all pupils must leave the bus at their home stops.
“This means that these pupils must now get off the bus and, at once, get in a car to follow the bus to get to the after school club, while some pupils will no longer be able to attend at all due to lack of transport.”
Mrs Crawford-Avis stated the council has told parents insurance issues are behind this decision, which she labelled “bizarre and petty”.
She added: “The Logiealmond Parent Group feel that paperwork is being prioritised over pupils.”
Perth and Kinross Council stated school buses are only permitted to take children to school and back to their registered collection and drop off point.
A council spokesperson said: “It has never been the policy of the council for school transport to be used for any other purpose than transporting a pupil from home to school and home again.
“There was no discussion held with the council prior to the school bus being used as a means of transporting the children to their after school club at Glenalmond College; if there had been, parents would have been informed that the school transport service could not be used in this way.
“If children are to travel to an alternative destination, it is for the parents to make appropriate travel arrangements, as is the case across Perth and Kinross.”
Conservative Strathtay councillor Barbara Vaughan said: “I will be contacting the executive director of education to discuss the current situation and I very much hope that there can be a resolution that will help the pupils and their parents.”