Anger as bus breakdown leaves Perthshire kids ‘stranded in freezing cold’ for 90 minutes

Schoolkids in Perthshire were left stranded in “freezing temperatures” for 90 minutes after their bus was late and then broke down.

The X04 school bus to Perth Academy was nearly 50 minutes late arriving to Spoutwells Drive in Scone on Thursday morning.

The Stagecoach service was scheduled to arrive at the stop at 8.10am but did not reach the street until 8.57am.

The vehicle then broke down on nearby Mansfield Road, where pupils had to wait until 9.40am for a replacement.

Perthshire mum slams ‘disgraceful’ Stagecoach

Mum Victoria Ritchie has branded the bus operator “disgraceful” for its “lack of concern” for pupils on board.

She said: “I have two children who utilise the X04 school bus from Scone to Perth Academy and we are used to the service frequently running late.

“This morning, with the temperature at -6 degrees, children [were] unsupervised in freezing temperatures for one hour and 30 minutes.

“The lack of concern for the young people who travel on these buses is disgraceful.

“It is not good enough for parents to receive texts advising young learners to utilise the normal service bus.

“[This] often arrives after 8.30am when the school office opens, leaving children exposed to weather and other situations.

“What if a child does not have their Young Scot card to travel with?

“What if a child does not have funds to pay for a bus journey?

“Their carers may have left home to go to work and the young learner is not able to return home.

“All of these possibilities in freezing temperatures are not acceptable.”

Victoria has called on Perth and Kinross Council to take action.

She said: “Where is the duty of care towards these pupils? How are they expected to get to school if the contracted school bus service fails them?

“I would also encourage Perth and Kinross Council to review their contract with this transport provider.”

In May, the council said it might reconsider the C10 school bus contract with Stagecoach after a no-show left pupils in Inchture stranded.

Stagecoach apologises after vehicle fault ‘due to sub-zero temperatures’

A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “We sincerely apologise to the pupils and parents affected by our delayed school journey this morning from Scone to Perth Academy.

“Due to subzero temperatures, one of our vehicles experienced a fault, preventing the service from operating as scheduled.

“A replacement vehicle was dispatched as soon as possible and we immediately informed Perth and Kinross Council and the school, to ensure parents were made aware of the situation.

“Our team in Perth have preventative measures in place to minimise the impact of the cold temperatures.

“Should an issue arise on a dedicated school bus, arrangements would be made for pupils to travel on regular services without any additional cost.”

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that pupils allocated to the Contract XSB/004 school transport bus experienced both a delay and vehicle breakdown this morning in the current cold weather.

“We are currently investigating the matter in conjunction with Stagecoach and will respond directly to any parents/carers who have contacted us about the issue as soon as possible.”