A resolution to bus service issues affecting students who attend La Salle College and Bullsbrook College from the Chittering area has been welcomed by Member for Moore Shane Love MLA.
Parents were devastated to learn late in December that their children would not be eligible to travel from Bullsbrook to La Salle College via one of the Public Transport Authorities (PTA) orange buses.
La Salle parents were advised at a meeting at the college on February 23 that students will instead travel from Bullsbrook to La Salle College on a Transperth bus. Mr Love thanked the many parents who raised their concerns with his Electoral Office and that of Mr Frank Alban MLA, Member for Swan Hills late last year.
“This has been a great outcome indicative of the teamwork between two electorates, a strong school community and support from the office of Transport Minister, Dean Nalder,” Mr Alban said.
“I would like to thank the parents, and in particular Ms Danni Schultze, who has been especially helpful in articulating the concerns of the community.”
The Transperth 311 service has been timed to allow students to catch a School Bus Services bus to Bullsbrook, before transferring to the 311 service which will drop students directly at both La Salle College and Swan Christian College as part of the route.
“I commend the Transport Minister’s office and the staff at School Bus Services within the PTA for finding a resolution before the 2015 school year commenced,” Mr Love said.
“The provision of this Transperth service from Bullsbrook gives parents security, knowing in the long term, their children have a seat on a bus to attend their school of choice.
“Lower Chittering and Gingin are high growth areas and demand for a range of schools will continue to grow.”
Mr Love conceded that there had been some teething problems around timing and ticketing with the 311 service from Bullsbrook on the first two days of term.
“I urge parents to contact La Salle regarding the issue of bus timetables and remind parents that if their queries are about the Transperth bus they should telephone Transperth Information on 136213 and if it is a concern with an PTA orange bus, they should ring School Bus Services on 9 3262693.
In a related matter, Mr Love said the School Bus Services division of PTA had also recently advised that there had been a resolution on bus access to Bullsbrook College for Bindoon students.
School Bus Services last week advised that all those students from the Bindoon area who had sought a seat on the bus to Bullsbrook College had been granted one.
“I understand some parents drove their children to Bullsbrook College throughout last year,” Mr Love said.
“The Public Transport Authority has been able to offer this Bindoon to Bullsbrook College service by altering some school bus routes, but parents need to understand whether their children are complimentary or eligible passengers and fully comprehend the correspondence they receive from School Bus Services.”
