Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, met with Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander, on Thursday to raise the need for an improved bus service for pupils attending All Saints School in Dagenham.
As a long-standing local issue, the level of demand for an increased service was first raised by Mr Desai with the Deputy Mayor in August 2018.
Following this, TfL officers have met with representatives from the school and local councillors, outlining the factors that must be taken into consideration before deciding on the viability of introducing more buses on school days.
All Saints School have requested the provision of a special ‘school day only’ service to run alongside the 175 bus route. A school day only bus service can be used by the public and operates in conjunction with the school timetable in the mornings and afternoon.
The school claims that this would alleviate public transport congestion issues at peak times and go towards resolving some of the current safety and safeguarding issues that its pupils currently face on their daily journeys.
They have also underlined the need for improvements to be made to guardrails and the pedestrian crossing outside the school, along with a timer installed at Becontree Heath to allow pupils and staff to check when bus services are arriving.
During the meeting, the Deputy Mayor indicated that a decision on whether the 175 Bus route can include a school day only service will be confirmed this summer after cost implications have been taken into account.
Local London Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai AM, said:
“The inadequate public transport links serving All Saints is a longstanding issue, and concerns have been raised about how this has jeopardised the safety of their pupils on their journeys to and from school.
“With only gradual progress having been made on this issue, it was positive to outline the need for a school day only service to run alongside the 175 route directly with the Deputy Mayor for Transport. This could make a huge difference to the lives and welfare of the school’s students and staff.
“It’s encouraging that we now have a timeframe in place for when the school can expect a decision on the proposals from TfL and I will certainly be monitoring this situation closely from City Hall. I will also be raising similar concerns held by other schools across Barking and Dagenham”.
Notes to editors
- A copy of Unmesh’s letter to the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander, from March 2019, is available upon request.
- Unmesh Desai AM is the London Assembly Member for City and East (covering Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London).
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