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Regional | Education

Ministry revisits decision to cut bus services

Early this year, the Ministry cut crucial bus services, leaving children to walk or travel long distances to pick up points often down dangerous country roads.

There was some relief this morning for a principal from one of the many schools affected by cuts to crucial school bus services.

Ken Timperley of Karetu school says,"if the ministry now puts the tick on a proposal that we reached today then I think 98% of my problems will disappear.”

Cost saving was the crux of the Ministry cuts to the bus services but parents fear that their own children may pay for these cost savings with their lives.

One mother, Kelly Stratford says, “they can be just hit by a driver that's been startled by not expecting to see a kid walking along the road.  Yeah a kid walking along the road doesn't create dust like a bus coming along the road that you slow down for.

Word is that the Ministry wants this problem gone and despite the relief from today's discussions, the cost saving cuts have affected many communities.

Those communities believe this needs to be addressed, rather than taking a piecemeal approach to fixing the problem for only certain affected communities.

Mr Timperley says, “what is important is that parents from those communities still need to stick their hands up and say "we're not happy".

This problem once again highlights the need and importance of consulting with communities affected by changes like this.

Reporter: Dean Nathan.