Pupils told: Stay in your seat and behave
Pupils are being given their own allocated seats on their school bus in a bid to tackle unruly behaviour and reduce accidents.
Incidents including children crashing through bus windows have prompted East Riding Council to operate the pilot scheme, which could be rolled out to more than 200 buses transporting 5,000 pupils.
In the latest incident, two girls fell out of a window on a single-decker transporting Cottingham High School pupils.
It followed an earlier accident in 2007 in which Hornsea School pupil Harry Sangwin, then 11, fell 12ft through a top-deck window of another school bus.
Now, another bus operator, which is concerned about pupils failing to sit in their seats, as well as causing damage, disruption and low-level bullying, has launched the seating allocation scheme on one of its routes.
All pupils travelling from Tickton to Beverley High School and Beverley Grammar School must now sit in seats allotted to them on the 946 bus operated by Lords Coaches, of Hull.
Bus company owner Nigel Lord says it has already had an impact.
He said: "It's early days but there has been a good deal of improved behaviour. All the kids sit down instead of milling about, they stay in their seats and they know they have responsibility for that seat if anything happens."
Beverley High School pupil Alyx Greenwood, 16, who travels on the 946 route, said: "I think it will make a difference.
"It means that the sixth form school bus monitors and the driver can keep an eye on all the people who cause trouble because they are put downstairs."
Beverley Grammar School headteacher Chris Goodwin said: "It's a good idea. The drivers have an enormously difficult task, particularly on the long bus runs, such as Wawne to Beverley, which is on a notoriously difficult road.
"Those children are unsupervised for what could be three quarters of an hour. We would never have that in a school classroom, we would not be allowed to. It's a big ask for children to be unsupervised for that period of time."
Jim Houghton, managing director of Ellie Rose Travel, withdrew his service transporting Cottingham High School pupils after two girls went through a bus window last October.
He said he would be willing to adopt the seat allocation scheme on his other bus runs.
Mr Houghton said: "We will try anything but at the end of the day, the only way you would stop it is by having an escort on the bus."
Parent Colin Sangwin, of Leven, whose son Harry, now 13, broke his leg after falling from a top deck bus window, also welcomed the scheme but claimed it must be part of a package of measures.
He said: "The problem with Harry was they were messing about. You can make all the rules in the world but I think the main problem is there is no-one responsible enough on the bus with authority to control the kids.
"Anything like seating allocation can't do any harm but more supervision is needed."
35 Comments
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by Doris Stokes, The other side
Sunday, February 21 2010, 11:41PM
“A group of us are currently holding hands, trying to make contact with the living in Hornsea. We are disappointed. If you read this. Please let us know you are really there.”
by Seamus, Limerick
Sunday, February 21 2010, 11:34PM
“It's still on. This takes me back to when I was a carefree embryo, hitching a ride in my mummy's tummy. Of course, you could walk across the Irish sea in those days. We would have had our holidays in Hornsea but it was under 300 feet of ice at the time!
What you see on your viewing screen here
Predates computers, tis clear.
It was chiselled in stone
With a dinosaur bone
Or a quill from a Pterosaur's rear!”
by Seamus, Limerick home for retired gentlfolk
Saturday, February 20 2010, 10:16PM
“Oh goody, it's still on - reminds me of my youth!
What news of these bright lads and lasses
Who fell from the bus on their ¿ erm ¿ bottoms?
Now this story's so old
That they now have, I¿m told
Their senior citizen's passes!”
by Seamus, Limerick
Saturday, February 06 2010, 3:29PM
“This ¿news¿ item, I know
Happened a long time ago.
They keep it on here
For year upon year
Cause they know that your reading is slow!”
by Seamus, Limerick
Thursday, February 04 2010, 3:27PM
“Tis a Daily Mail mystery
When I put an apostrophe
On my computer screen
A question mark¿s seen
Upside down ¿ pray how can this be?”
by Seamus, Limerick
Thursday, February 04 2010, 9:45AM
“Is this still on?
I'm putting the opposite view
That if Ellie Rose used better glue
To stick up their winder
I¿d not be so tender
And wouldn¿t be tempted to sue!”
by Seamus, Limerick City Transport
Tuesday, January 26 2010, 10:57PM
“I thought that the rack looked so neat
I would use it instead of a seat
With acute lack of grace
I was launched into space
Now I¿m parked ¿ on me bum ¿ in the street!”
by FR, ER
Tuesday, January 19 2010, 10:37AM
“Netty - I was referring to the Wawne/Tickton buses, referred to in the story, where the majority of the passengers don't even live in the villages - they are from Hull and their parents ferry them in to get the school buses. I wasn't commenting on the Cottingham incident.”
by belle, nice and warm at home
Tuesday, January 19 2010, 8:28AM
“surely as responsible parents shouldn't our children already know they should sit still in there seats when on a bus???My son gets the bus to and from school and that is based on the fact I can trust him not to muck about!! 1 point Id like to make is that some bus drivers do need to be careful as 1 school bus was doing 40 in a 30 and was noted by a child waiting to get off,who told him he was going too fast..to be told he was the driver and they should go sit down!Driver then braked heavily and all the kids flew forward unexpectadly! The buses should all be fitted with seatbelts now and ALL passengers should be securely sat and fastened in whilst the bus is in motion,ringing the bell or getting off at designated bus stops!Do not bite the hand that feeds you...would you like to be a bus driver to 50 shouting kids??Im sure I wouldnt!Their job is stressful enough without having the hassles from silly children who have never been taught simple rules !”
by Gemma, Avenues
Monday, January 18 2010, 11:20PM
“Was anyone listening to Viking FM when Sam eywood was encouraging girl on a school bus to go and chat to the bus driver so he wasnt 'lonely' whilst stuck in the long traffic. Bus drivers dont need the distraction, especially when it's icy and awful driving conditions.”