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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 26 April 2007

How to fund shuttle buses

• FAR from saying that funding for school transport schemes should come from the taxpayer, School Travel Action Group (Stag) has always said that this funding should not come from the public purse (Schools blamed for traffic chaos, April 19)
We have suggested that parents who drive should fund alternatives by charging a levy on the school parking permit. This could be ring-fenced to create a travel fund for school buses and other transport measures, like a shuttle bus to ferry children from Tubes, bus stops and car parks. The idea is that, eventually, as more alternatives come on tap, parking permits could be reduced.
Councillor Mike Greene’s blaming schools for not having solved the endemic transport problems in the area is unhelpful. There are good reasons why schools have not so far managed to implement comprehensive schemes. It is not for want of trying.
Most schools in the Hampstead area are small so cannot support a school bus network alone.
The logistical obstacles to joint schemes are immense and without more co-ordination from Camden Council they are unlikely to materialise.
Even if these hurdles can be overcome, there is still the funding problem. Parents will not use a school bus if it is prohibitively expensive. All the schemes that have worked so far are subsidised. That is why we have suggested that a paid-for parking permit be used to fund bus schemes.
Some schools have made strides in tackling these obstacles but most are small and do not have expertise in this field.
If the council is genuine in its wish to tackle the school run it needs to put impetus behind joint-school schemes.
The funding should not come from the taxpayer but Camden does need to put the weight of its transport planners behind these schemes if they are to get off the ground.
VICKY FOBEL
School Travel Action Group

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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