Partner agencies in Rhondda Cynon Taf have joined forces with Pontypridd High School to launch a pilot initiative to ensure good behaviour on school transport.
Most pupils display exemplary behaviour as they make their way to and from school.
However, concern has been raised by a number of reports about the behaviour of a minority across Rhondda Cynon Taf who display unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour.
This includes instances across the County Borough where the safety and wellbeing of other young people has been put at risk and, in some cases, pupils have been excluded from using transport for set periods due to the severity of such instances.
Determined to deal with this behaviour, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Integrated Transport Unit (ITU) and South Wales Police have joined forces to launch a pilot scheme at Pontypridd High.
The scheme has already proved to be a huge success and work is now being rolled out across the County Borough.
It is hoped the pilot will raise standards across the area and also enable journeys to and from school to be safe and free from unusual levels of stress, as per the Welsh Assembly Government’s Travel Behaviour Code.
The campaign began with Schools Liaison Officer Pc Rob Thomas, based within the Community Safety Partnership at Fairway Court, working with the ITU and Pontypridd High to investigate recent incidents and determine an appropriate course of action against offenders.
The work also saw police officers on buses, a move that has been rolled out to a number of mainstream school contract buses operating throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Further work will lead to targeted exercises where they are needed, while the ITU continues to work through its updated list of pupils who receive transport, seeking to reallocate places and spread passengers across vehicles to balance the load.
The ITU is also working with transport operators to reduce the number of double deck vehicles used, where practicable, to help ease issues.
Paul Cannon, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, said: “This is a positive example of partner agencies, including the Police and the Council, working with schools to ensure pupils can make their way to and from school in a safe manner.
“It must be stressed that the majority of our pupils behave in an exemplary manner during their journeys to and from school. However, there have been some incidents to which we must respond, on behalf of other school transport users and operators.
“We are pleased that pilot work with Pontypridd High has been such a success and allowed us to roll out a course of action across the County Borough.”
