Parents have raised fears over a proposed walking route to school for children in Surrey. The route, which is mainly off-road, has been proposed by the council.
A walk along the route proposed by Surrey County Council for 11- and 12-year old students going to Oasis Academy in Coulsdon takes them down steep footpaths alongside woods, across agricultural fields and over the Farthing Downs, Surrey Live reports.
While it's a nice country walk, parents have concerns over the safety of their children on the route, while some families have one child who is allowed on the bus each day, and another being refused, with the bus running with spare seats. Previous routes suggested to parents for the school-run have included along Woodplace Lane, a narrow road without a footpath.
A Surrey County Council spokesperson said in line with national guidance, children aged four to 16 in Surrey are eligible for free home to school transport if they attend their nearest qualifying school and the walking distance is more than three miles if they're eight or older (less for younger children), or less than that if the walking route is assessed as unsafe.
They said safety walking routes to school are assessed on road safety and not personal safety. At the moment, families in the village are operating a car pool rota to get the children to school, with concerns about public transport options too, with children having to cross the busy A23 in the morning and take two buses to school.
As can be seen from pictures taken, many of the paths suggested by Surrey County Council are steep, wooded footpaths, which the children would have to walk twice a day to get to and from Oasis Academy.
And part of the route that pupils from Oasis Academy would walk to school involves crossing fields, having been refused a place on school buses being run by Surrey County Council.
