CONCERNS have been raised by parents after pupils attending a Flintshire school have been left stranded at the bus stop. 

Since the start of term, a number of pupils from Sychdyn attending the Alun School in Mold have been refused entry onto the bus due to it reaching its capacity.

With the main road out of the village a national speed limit, with limited footpaths, there are concerns from parents that a "tragedy" may occur if the issue is not addressed. 

Paul Glantz said: "It's a tragedy waiting to happen and the point seems to be totally missed by Flintshire County Council as we are not asking them to provide funded transport.

"Last term there were no issues with school children catching the bus, but this term a large number are not allowed on the bus, meaning parents have to take them.

"My major concern relates to the options pupils have. The main road once you leave the village is national speed limit. Although there is a pavement the hedges in places are over grown so force pedestrians onto the road. The second route via Raikes Lane has no pavement. Again it's national speed limit.

"The worst case scenario is a child is not allowed on the bus, they fear they'll be late for school and which ever route they take they may be careless and a tragedy occurs."

Jennifer Hughes added: "As a parent when your child leaves the house you want to be confident that they will arrive safely to school and home again without the anxiety of worrying.

"Parents are having to either come out of work to take their children or hang back in case they are not the lucky ones to get on the bus. An extra bus has been put on at 7.45am as an interim measure, but this means the children arrive on campus around 8am and doors of school don't open till 8.50."

Sarah Anderson said: "Every morning we [see] our son off in Sychdyn to get the bus to school, this has been fine up until this term, where all of a sudden children are being turned away.

"Flintshire county Council have been absolutely no help at all stating there is no requirement for a school bus as you can walk to school. 

"The road I live on is a 60mph road with a single foot path. There are no street lights and cars often travel faster than 60mph. All we want is for our children to safely get to and from school that's not a lot to ask is it?"

Gareth Portman added: "Numerous parents are concerned regarding this and its not getting resolved. 

"The kids getting left behind in the cold, dark and wet winter months having to make there own way to the Alun is an accident waiting to happen. It just blows my mind nothing is being done about it. 

"Only four extra kids from Sychdyn have joined the Alun this year, nothing other than that has changed. We just want it to go back to how it was before the summer holidays. It surely can't be that hard."

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Katie Wilby, Chief Officer for Streetscene and Transportation, said: “Where a pupil attends a school that is not their nearest school, the parent is responsible for all transport costs and arrangement – therefore pupils residing in Sychdyn are not eligible for free transport to Mold Alun.

“Where an application and assessment is made, free transport would be provided to the closest school (pupils living in Sychdyn are closer to Argoed and free transport would be given as it’s a hazardous route). Townlynx are now providing an additional bus to relieve the capacity concerns.”

A spokesperson for Townlynx said: "The Sychdyn bus that transports fare paying students to the Mold Campus is a public service bus.

"Unfortunately, upon reaching the village of Sychdyn, it is close to its designed and legal maximum passenger capacity.

"We have a legal undertaking not to operate a vehicle over its design capacity, and if we were to do so, would be contravening various road traffic and health and safety regulations.

"The vehicle currently being used on this service, has one of the largest capacities within our fleet.

"A short term solution has been provided by Townlynx Ltd, as a gesture of goodwill, to help with this situation, but unfortunately, as this is in its infancy, it is poorly used at this time."