A scheme to improve safety on school transport is well underway.
Swansea Council, in partnership with authorities in the South West Wales Integrated Transport Consortium (SWWITCH), was awarded £668,500 by the Welsh Assembly Government last year to improve school transport services across south and west Wales.
The money is being spent on developing and implementing a range of measures such as training and CCTV on buses as well as a risk assessment of transport routes.
Two school transport development officers and a training officer have been employed to work on the project.
Since its launch last year, a training programme has been developed for all pupils who use school transport in the SWWITCH area as well as drivers and passenger assistants.
CCTV cameras are being fitted on 120 buses including 30 in Swansea later this year. It is hoped that the cameras will act as a deterrent to any bad behaviour and will make bus travel even safer for pupils.
Standard incident report forms have also been developed as has an All Wales Risk assessment framework.
Thousands of young people will be going back to lessons next week by school bus.
Cllr John Hague, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We hope that these measures will improve school transport provision for our pupils and will also create a better travel experience for them.”
More than 5,000 pupils use school transport in Swansea. The service is largely contracted out to Swansea-based transport operators.
