Local Member of Parliament Bim Afolami met with almost 50 local parents and students in Pirton Village Hall on Friday to discuss local concerns over overcrowding on school bus routes. Pirton residents have been alarmed by overcrowding on the Centrebus 89 bus route, which takes children from the village into Hitchin for school on weekdays.
Mr Afolami has previously worked alongside local County Councillor David Barnard to secure changes to the 89 route on behalf of residents to ensure that Pirton children were able to get to school in Hitchin on time, and further changes had meant that the bus route went into the grounds of the Priory School to improve safety. With recent housing developments in Pirton, combined with the recent cancellation of a private bus service to the Priory School, residents have reported an increase in demand for the 89 bus – with reports of 70 or more people using the service at times.
Bim Afolami MP said,
“It is vitally important that children in Pirton have a safe and accessible public transport option to get to school in Hitchin – particularly as the village expands. I am deeply concerned by reports of overcrowding on the 89 bus route at school times and I will be taking this up with Hertfordshire County Council.
“Residents have told me that they need action and I have heard them. I will work with colleagues in both local Government and Westminster to secure funding for an additional service at peak times for school transport to improve safety for local children in Pirton.”
Cllr David Barnard said,
“As the local County Councillor for Pirton I am striving to ensure that private bus operators keep to their contractual obligations with adequate sized transport and no cancellations. I will continue to work alongside Bim and the Conservative administration at County Hall to ensure that Pirton’s children have access to the high-quality bus services that residents expect.”
