Angry parents criticise borough's bus service (From Dorset Echo)

What is needed here is that children go to the nearest schoo lpossible and stop this choice of schools, Taking children to weymouth schools from portland should not be acceptable when the schools on portland are just as good as weymouth.

No comment from First who jumped on the bandwagon when Damory failed on School Transport last year.
First set up special service buses from Weymouth to Dorchester Schools to compete with Damory contract coaches.
Seems they need to get their own house in order.
The old Southern National and Smiths of Portland were never that bad.
Maybe Sir Richard Branson should start a bus company in Dorset.
Well he does have a 'beef' with First on the railways

Never Wrong wrote:
What is needed here is that children go to the nearest schoo lpossible and stop this choice of schools, Taking children to weymouth schools from portland should not be acceptable when the schools on portland are just as good as weymouth.

That's definitely just your matter of opinion.

what the hell!! im reading all this thinking "bloody bus company" i get near the end of the article to find people living on Chickerell Road have kids going to Bincombe School!!!! and people living on Portland have kids all go to Weymouth schools, what a waste of my time feeling sorry for these people when again it seems to be thier own fault for not going to the closest school.

Taxpayinglocal wrote:
what the hell!! im reading all this thinking "bloody bus company" i get near the end of the article to find people living on Chickerell Road have kids going to Bincombe School!!!! and people living on Portland have kids all go to Weymouth schools, what a waste of my time feeling sorry for these people when again it seems to be thier own fault for not going to the closest school.

People deserve a choice, and no school is the same as another!

They are right to moan about about a 50min wait on a 10min running bus service, at peak time!

Thought we was being incouraged into public transport...

But it does seem there's is two stories here. Council trying to tackle persistant absences (not specific to lateness), whilst the parents are complaining about a bus service.

I wonder if Mrs Isbell's two children are in trouble for being late for 'first' class of the day, or they're being monitored because of truanting. very unfair to threaten fines, when such a poor transport service is the only option. can't even say get the bus before, cos it sounds like very few are running! No excuse for a 50min wait!

Living in Preston, I never, ever take a bus when I have a deadline (i.e. to work). So unreliable- there is no point.

I know one of the individulas who commented saying they get a bus from Portland to Weymouth and Just to clarify that not every member of the public has a choice where their children go to school, so to the comment saying kids who live on portland should not attend a weymouth school, what do you propose the mother of those children does when it gets agreed through a court custody battle where they attend school, as it best meets the needs of the children to continue at the school they first started to ensure continuity of the childrens education, not that it is any of your concern why children attend a different school.... and surley the issue is the poor service, she pays for her tickets the same as everyone else and is entitled to an adequate service the same as the rest of you regardless of circumstances.

hi thanks for your comments. the reason why my youngest daughter goes to bincombe school is because she is attending the same school as all her siblings. she loves the school.my other children go to wey valley school which is our catchment school.my son and daughter are being monitored for being late and for no other reason. they love school. my complaint is the lack of buses not just getting my children to school but the elderly, the workers the disabled etc. the mums who only have a couple of hours in between the school run. the people that need to go to town and go about their daily business. im not blaming any of the drivers. they have are the first face that a passenger sees and therefore on the front line of any abuse.. and boy have i seen some drivers get attacked..i have to pay for my bus tickets for myself and children and so when i pay over 60.00 every week for bus tickets i expect to have the sevice i pay for.thanks for the comments through my facebook page called first buses weymouth complaints. jackie isbell

The bus service is a shambles. I've just started at Weymouth College and have to catch the bus from Littlemoor Bridge every day. Its NEVER on time. On Monday, I had to be in by 9am, left home at 08:10 thinking I had plenty of time. Saw 4 buses head into Littlemoor, one drove straight past us refusing to stop, and it was another quarter of an hour till another showed up. Then the driver decided to stop for ten minutes at Broadway church and again at the Spa pub! got into college at quarter to ten!

One day last week, i waited on Lodmoor Hill for 70 minutes before a bus finally showed! takes the micky

was late quite a lot for school last season thanks to the buses too. And teachers dont accept the bus showing up a fortnight late as an excuse. Something's got to be done because it takes the micky. People have to be in school, college and work on time and many of us rely on public transportation too.

They charge extortionate fares, show up half an hour late, stop for a break twice on the way into town and then we're the one's who suffer for being late!

rant over. :)

was in football mode when i wrote my first comment, i meant i was late for school a lot last year lol

Taxi from Lodmoor hill to wey-valley school is about £4.50, 4 kids in one taxi 4.50 divided by 4 is £1.12 each, im sure you can find 3 other kids in your area to all meet at Lodmoor hill to pay £1.12 each for a taxi. £1.12 may even be cheaper than the bus by the talk of things above.

stench wrote:

Taxpayinglocal wrote:
what the hell!! im reading all this thinking "bloody bus company" i get near the end of the article to find people living on Chickerell Road have kids going to Bincombe School!!!! and people living on Portland have kids all go to Weymouth schools, what a waste of my time feeling sorry for these people when again it seems to be thier own fault for not going to the closest school.

People deserve a choice, and no school is the same as another!

They are right to moan about about a 50min wait on a 10min running bus service, at peak time!

Thought we was being incouraged into public transport...

But it does seem there's is two stories here. Council trying to tackle persistant absences (not specific to lateness), whilst the parents are complaining about a bus service.

I wonder if Mrs Isbell's two children are in trouble for being late for 'first' class of the day, or they're being monitored because of truanting. very unfair to threaten fines, when such a poor transport service is the only option. can't even say get the bus before, cos it sounds like very few are running! No excuse for a 50min wait!

Why do people deserve a choice?

If I live near to a particular school I would expect my child to be automatically go there, not be swamped by those parents who don't live nearby, just because they think it may have a better standard

The government should be focussing on improving those schools that are faltering, not avoiding the problem by giving parents choice to avoid the supposedly bad ones. And, as others say on here it would then not be necessary for kids from Portland not to attend their local schools and therefore undertake any unnecessary journeys.

my kids have been late all week trying to get the bus from fortuneswell to royal manor, buses full or not turning up.

One has to ask where the busses that are driving around on our roads are actually going to? Littlemoor has more busses than anywhere else, you ALWAYS see them driving round the estate, and Portland is the same. Would it be parents hoping to get out of a court appearance and fine, because they can't get their kids to school on time? yea that's what I thought too.

what about the buses that arrive 1hr late and tell you they are only going to Victoria sq, or the diver says "Iam turning around at weston corner". I am sick to death of First Buses..I agree with the other commenter, let Sir Richard Branson have a go!!!
ps had a letter from First, sorry about the bus it was having an MOT

Buses for MOT are off the road for a week to go through a pre MOT check and rectify any faults found, then it goes to Bluebird for a steam clean then onto Poole for it's MOT.

Well that was system in Southern National's day and expect it is still similar.

That letter from First was a joke or an attempt at 'Bulls**t baffles brains'

ksmain wrote:

stench wrote:

Taxpayinglocal wrote: what the hell!! im reading all this thinking "bloody bus company" i get near the end of the article to find people living on Chickerell Road have kids going to Bincombe School!!!! and people living on Portland have kids all go to Weymouth schools, what a waste of my time feeling sorry for these people when again it seems to be thier own fault for not going to the closest school.

People deserve a choice, and no school is the same as another! They are right to moan about about a 50min wait on a 10min running bus service, at peak time! Thought we was being incouraged into public transport... But it does seem there's is two stories here. Council trying to tackle persistant absences (not specific to lateness), whilst the parents are complaining about a bus service. I wonder if Mrs Isbell's two children are in trouble for being late for 'first' class of the day, or they're being monitored because of truanting. very unfair to threaten fines, when such a poor transport service is the only option. can't even say get the bus before, cos it sounds like very few are running! No excuse for a 50min wait!

Why do people deserve a choice? If I live near to a particular school I would expect my child to be automatically go there, not be swamped by those parents who don't live nearby, just because they think it may have a better standard The government should be focussing on improving those schools that are faltering, not avoiding the problem by giving parents choice to avoid the supposedly bad ones. And, as others say on here it would then not be necessary for kids from Portland not to attend their local schools and therefore undertake any unnecessary journeys.

just because you settle for second best, dont mean anyone else should!

Good education often means better jobs, careers...

Let's hope you havent failed your kids by this 'put up with it' attitude!

Some people fight to give their kids the best in life!

niceonecyril wrote:
One has to ask where the busses that are driving around on our roads are actually going to? Littlemoor has more busses than anywhere else, you ALWAYS see them driving round the estate, and Portland is the same. Would it be parents hoping to get out of a court appearance and fine, because they can't get their kids to school on time? yea that's what I thought too.

hmm...

you are a complete tool!

Nothing has changed; I lived on Abbotsbury Road and went to Wey Valley. The buses were nearly always late so I chose to cycle (and stay fit at the same time) – this should be even safer now that Dorchester road is hardly used - worth considering?

Has Mrs Isbell actually tried to move her children to Badmouth School (which is closer).

Also, I wonder if the late buses getting too much of the blame for her children's lateness?

stench wrote:

ksmain wrote:

stench wrote:

Taxpayinglocal wrote: what the hell!! im reading all this thinking "bloody bus company" i get near the end of the article to find people living on Chickerell Road have kids going to Bincombe School!!!! and people living on Portland have kids all go to Weymouth schools, what a waste of my time feeling sorry for these people when again it seems to be thier own fault for not going to the closest school.

People deserve a choice, and no school is the same as another! They are right to moan about about a 50min wait on a 10min running bus service, at peak time! Thought we was being incouraged into public transport... But it does seem there's is two stories here. Council trying to tackle persistant absences (not specific to lateness), whilst the parents are complaining about a bus service. I wonder if Mrs Isbell's two children are in trouble for being late for 'first' class of the day, or they're being monitored because of truanting. very unfair to threaten fines, when such a poor transport service is the only option. can't even say get the bus before, cos it sounds like very few are running! No excuse for a 50min wait!

Why do people deserve a choice? If I live near to a particular school I would expect my child to be automatically go there, not be swamped by those parents who don't live nearby, just because they think it may have a better standard The government should be focussing on improving those schools that are faltering, not avoiding the problem by giving parents choice to avoid the supposedly bad ones. And, as others say on here it would then not be necessary for kids from Portland not to attend their local schools and therefore undertake any unnecessary journeys.

just because you settle for second best, dont mean anyone else should!

Good education often means better jobs, careers...

Let's hope you havent failed your kids by this 'put up with it' attitude!

Some people fight to give their kids the best in life!

You completely missed the point of my post.

As for the 'better education often means better jobs' - it used to but no longer. How many university graduates are out of a job (let alone a better paid one)? Must be a few judging by the number of applications I have seen from university graduates applying for jobs that are at no better salary that had they left school at 18 to get a job.

As for my child she is doing fine thanks - she is perfectly self-motivated to do well. Perhaps it is because we fight to give our child the best in life, at the school in our catchment area!!!

I've had no problems with the 88 service so far, touch wood. Always on time, 100% school attendance.

Not sure why the other routes are troublesome.