Parents angry over bus stop

An online petition has attracted more than 300 signatures after parents in Capel were left reeling when School Bus Services WA cancelled a service from Capel to two Bunbury schools.

Eight Newton Moore Senior High School and Adam Road Primary School students have been affected by the cancellation, leaving some with no other way to get to school.

“They said my children had been on the service as complimentary passengers and there were no longer children attending specialist programs at Newton Moore for that service to run there anymore,” petition organiser Sarah Bradshaw said.

“Theses families have been very inconvenienced... one lady might have to home school her children because she doesn’t have anyone else to rely on.”

In addition to the more than 300 signatures, more than 55 comments have been left underneath the petition, some even questioning the legality of the decision.

Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes defended the decision and cited the authority’s “finite budget” along with several other eligibility criteria points.

“The students who were removed from the bus were attending Newton Moore Senior High School and Adam Road Primary School,” he said.

“Under the rules of eligibility, their closest appropriate schools are Dalyellup College and Capel primary.”

Following the cancellation which came into effect at the start of the school term, other buses were rerouted “to be able to carry a bigger number of eligible students,” according to Mr Hynes.

“I’d like to know what’s really happening... what the real story is,” parent Sonia McNab said.