THE Public Transport Authority (PTA) will replace seven orange buses in the Murray region with Transperth school specials.
Students travelling from the suburbs of Barragup, North Yunderup, South Yunderup and Ravenswood to Pinjarra, and students travelling from Ravenswood to Mandurah will catch a Transperth school bus service.
This means the students will have to pay 60 cents for the bus ride – which is the cost for all school age students in Western Australia.
Previously the students could ride the orange school buses for free.
Member for Murray-Wellington Murray Cowper said he had received calls from some concerned parents as some children will require special assistance.
“I have very good faith in the capacity of the bus drivers taking on the additional numbers to deliver children to school in a safe and appropriate manner; as is the case across the Perth Metro and Peel Region on any given school day,” he said.
PTA spokesperson David Haynes said the decision was not made lightly.
“The changes were precipitated by the shift of thousands of year seven students to high school next year,” he said.
“Transperth’s bus contractors meticulously vet their drivers, all of whom must have a working with children check, and all of whom have a clear duty of care to all their passengers.”
Mr Cowper said the area needed more buses.
“As population numbers increase in the Murray Shire, the demand for a regular public bus service has become apparent,” he said.
“The community and I lobbied to have a regular bus service provided for over two years.
“We were successful and the Pinjarra Transperth Bus (600) was the result of a lot of hard work, not only for students but senior folk who live in the Murray Shire.”
He said he liked having more buses as it allowed people from Pinjarra to head into Mandurah for the day and head to the beach in summer.
The drivers of the orange school buses with contracts have been reassigned.
Information on how the changes will affect students can be found on the Transperth website at transperth.wa.gov.au/Service-Updates/Bus-Updates/Bus-Update-Details/revision-time-school-service-changes-2015-5774
