Primary school bus charges increased by 100%

kinnari

Just got the invoice today from bus eireann and charges have gone from €50 per child last year to €100 per child this year. AFAIK there was no notification for this increase. When I rang BE, they gave me the 'it's not us, its government' line. Is it the same in all regions? It is still an ok price for the bus IMO but what happens next year? 150 per child????? Can we do anything?

WhatNowForUs?

kinnari wrote: »

Just got the invoice today from bus eireann and charges have gone from €50 per child last year to €100 per child this year. AFAIK there was no notification for this increase. When I rang BE, they gave me the 'it's not us, its government' line. Is it the same in all regions? It is still an ok price for the bus IMO but what happens next year? 150 per child????? Can we do anything?

Is this for the school transport scheme?

If it is its being challanged in the Commercial High Court tomorrow for the market to be opened up.

Victor

Did this not happen last year or the year before?

schemingbohemia

You can pay it and be glad that the rest of us are subsidising it?

Details of new fares are here
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/primary_and_post_primary_education/going_to_primary_school/primary_school_transport_scheme.html

Thought I'd heard info about this a while ago - did you search Bus Eireann's website for news items on it?

foggy_lad

They have to pay for all those seat-belts and the newer old bangers they have been introducing to the school bus fleet!

kinnari

OP here,

schemingbohemia, as I stated in my original post, i still think its an ok fee to pay (am a tax payer myself too), I am concerned that they can up it every year. we all have our limits! If I had known about it, I could have budgeted a bit better and have the full amount for the end of the month.

kinnari

whatnowforus & victor. this is the school transport scheme and it was €50 last year per child, it is now €100 per child.

Alan_P

The post-primary charge per pupil is gone up to €350, and Bus Éireann are demanding it in full and up front by the 27th of August.

Which is pretty stupid on their part, at least in our case, because Dublin Bus do an U16 school child 10 journey ticket for €7 a week, or (€28 a month * 10 months)=€280 for the year. So the Dublin Bus option is €70 a year cheaper and DB don't want anything up front.

ballooba

Any talk of new operators?

Privatise

By Thursday or Friday next week the judgement will be made on whether The Department of Education will have to put up for tender the School Transport Scheme.

If the Department are defeated there will be new operators tendering for this Contract.

foggy_lad

Privatise wrote: »

By Thursday or Friday next week the judgement will be made on whether The Department of Education will have to put up for tender the School Transport Scheme.

If the Department are defeated there will be new operators tendering for this Contract.

But unfortunately putting in a good or the best bid will not automatically guarantee the contract especially with so many C.I.E. people involved.

StevenGerrard

IMO its not that bad 100euro if he/she was to get the dublin bus at .75c each way
thats 7.50 for a 5day week x 32weeks (approx) = 240 euro. So 100 euro is ok

kub

schemingbohemia wrote: »

You can pay it and be glad that the rest of us are subsidising it?

Details of new fares are here
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/primary_and_post_primary_education/going_to_primary_school/primary_school_transport_scheme.html

Thought I'd heard info about this a while ago - did you search Bus Eireann's website for news items on it?

We live in suburbia, our kids go to school, it is our responsibility to get them to & from school. Not a problem, they are our kids & we love them.

Nice to see I also have to pay for the rural kids passage to school as well, is this fair? I did not ask these people to live in the sticks, or to have kids.

I hope these kids appreciate my tax money.

christmas2012

The whole thing is a gravy train,in my opinion,they know they can charge and there aint one f**king damn thing you can do about it!i have a old friend who i recently got back in touch with she moved to my road with her parental family and her boyfriend split up with her,she has three kids and its a struggle for them when it comes to books,shes on welfare allowance for that,but some of the books are new out and you still have to pay for them,the pricing is ridiculous,if she didnt have the help of her boyf and family she would be screwed..

L1011

christmas2012 wrote: »

The whole thing is a gravy train,in my opinion,they know they can charge and there aint one f**king damn thing you can do about it!i have a old friend who i recently got back in touch with she moved to my road with her parental family and her boyfriend split up with her,she has three kids and its a struggle for them when it comes to books,shes on welfare allowance for that,but some of the books are new out and you still have to pay for them,the pricing is ridiculous,if she didnt have the help of her boyf and family she would be screwed..

Gravy train?

Do you realise that the charges don't come anywhere close to paying for the costs of the scheme? Clearly not... you might want to read threads before barging in with a reply.

AlekSmart

kub wrote: »

We live in suburbia, our kids go to school, it is our responsibility to get them to & from school. Not a problem, they are our kids & we love them.

Nice to see I also have to pay for the rural kids passage to school as well, is this fair? I did not ask these people to live in the sticks, or to have kids.

I hope these kids appreciate my tax money.

Kub,I can lend you my Steel Helmet and Stab Vest if you like....:eek:

christmas2012

Gravy train?

Do you realise that the charges don't come anywhere close to paying for the costs of the scheme? Clearly not... you might want to read threads before barging in with a reply.

Yes,buying the new books(i was talking about not the scheme but the new books that most parents are forced to buy bc the schemes dont have all the new books there)is a gravy train.


People need to form pressure groups to stand up to those who are are intent on overcharging..People dont have the money something needs to change..

Losty Dublin

christmas2012 wrote: »

The whole thing is a gravy train,in my opinion,they know they can charge and there aint one f**king damn thing you can do about it!

Many schools around the country run their own bus services to get kids in and out. If she is dissatisfied with the rates or service from Bus Eireann then herself, fellow parents and/or the school should consider running their own service and see how it goes.

L1011

christmas2012 wrote: »

Yes,buying the new books(i was talking about not the scheme but the new books that most parents are forced to buy bc the schemes dont have all the new books there)is a gravy train.


People need to form pressure groups to stand up to those who are are intent on overcharging..People dont have the money something needs to change..

Why were you talking about school books on a thread about bus transport?

Privatise

foggy_lad wrote: »

Privatise wrote: »

By Thursday or Friday next week the judgement will be made on whether The Department of Education will have to put up for tender the School Transport Scheme.

If the Department are defeated there will be new operators tendering for this Contract.

But unfortunately putting in a good or the best bid will not automatically guarantee the contract especially with so many C.I.E. people involved.

Indeed but it is a first step and from first steps come progress. It will definetly be more transparent.

Privatise

Losty Dublin wrote: »

christmas2012 wrote: »

The whole thing is a gravy train,in my opinion,they know they can charge and there aint one f**king damn thing you can do about it!

Many schools around the country run their own bus services to get kids in and out. If she is dissatisfied with the rates or service from Bus Eireann then herself, fellow parents and/or the school should consider running their own service and see how it goes.

Another possibility would be that if the scheme was run more efficiently it would cost student families, tax payers and would allow more students to use the service for less the cost of that at the moment.