Parents’ anger as 441 Bishop’s Stortford to Saffron Walden school bus is scrapped ahead of new term

Parents and pupils have been left frustrated over changes to school transport at the start of the new term.

Transport operator Stephensons of Essex, which six months ago took over the contract to replace the 301 Bishop’s Stortford to Saffron Walden service previously run by Central Connect, has scrapped its 441 service that takes students from Stortford to Joyce Frankland Academy in Newport and Saffron Walden County High, citing dwindling passenger numbers.

It is using the 301 service to offer school transport instead.

It stuck a notice on the bus shelter in November and posted on its website on December – five days before schools broke up. Parents have received no direct official notification and have struggled to find out more about alternative arrangements from Stephensons or Essex County Council (ECC).

Stephensons’ 301 service means children now face earlier pick-ups and later return journeys. As they returned to school on Monday (Jan 6) after the Christmas holidays, many were unsure whether their bus passes would still be valid and when to expect the buses.

Children with free school transport provision are issued with passes if they attend their nearest school and live more than three miles away.

Rina Crumpler, who lives in Quendon and has two daughters at Joyce Frankland, said the situation was making her increasingly angry.

“I can’t get anyone at passenger transport to listen to me… and then there’s the safeguarding issue,” she said. “They finish school at 3.15pm. I don’t want them waiting around until 3.52pm for a bus which may or may not arrive until much later than that.

“Passenger transport don’t have a phone line, and when you get through to the council they say I need to speak to passenger transport or Stephensons.

“Stephensons say the alternative route is the 301. The other alternative is fuel allowance, which doesn’t help because I can’t always drop and pick the girls up.”

Essex county councillor Ray Gooding, whose Stansted division stretches from Birchanger to Newport, said the lack of communication was concerning and he would be following it up with ECC.

“The normal rule is that it is the responsibility of parents to get their children to and from school right up until they cross the threshold of the school. If children are transported on a school bus, that threshold is up to the point they get onto the bus,” he said.

“The bus company becomes responsible until they are handed in to school, but I will check on the legal position of that when children are getting on a regular public bus. I will also take up the fact that parents still don’t know anything.”

On its website, Stephensons said: “We regret to inform you that service 441 will no longer be operating from 5 January 2025. This has been a difficult decision to make, but due to the decline in passenger numbers over the course of this year, the service is no longer viable for us to continue it.

“Service 301 covers the majority of the old 441 route. All Essex County Council 441 scholar passes will now be valid on service 301.”

A spokesperson for ECC said: “Service 441 was a commercial service operated by Stephensons of Essex and therefore had no input from Essex County Council.

“When a commercial service is withdrawn, Essex County Council carries out impact assessments to see if any action needs to be taken. In this case, the 301 provided a similar service, albeit at different times. The 301 is also operated by Stephensons of Essex, meaning original tickets and passes can still be used.

“Communications about services should come from the operators providing them, including details about their specific plans and processes. However, we are looking to see how we can support communications going forward in light of the concerns raised.”

The Indie has approached Stephensons for a comment.