STUDENTS will have to follow new rules when they travel to school by bus this term.
To manage the spread of coronavirus, students will be kept within their own school groups, with social distancing measures on buses. And they are asked to wear face coverings unless medically exempt.
The council has been working with school transport providers, and there will be extra buses for students travelling to the Holt, Forest and Emmbrook schools along the A329.
Wokingham Borough Council is encouraging students and staff to cycle or walk to school if they can.
Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services at WBC, said: “Walking and cycling to school is good for the health of our young people, as well as being a safe way for them to travel due to Covid-19 as it is less likely to be passed on outdoors.
“I would like to reassure parents and students about the measures which have been put in place on our buses, including the additional services.
“These have been implemented alongside the companies providing our school transport services, following Government and Public Health England guidance, in order to keep children as safe as possible.”
She added: “The council continues to support schools, staff, parents and pupils as we get ready to return them to school as safely as we can.”
Before the school journey
To comply with the law, everyone aged 11 and over must wear a face covering on public transport unless medically exempt.
Although this law does not apply to dedicated school buses, the borough council is encouraging secondary school students to follow the guidance and use a face covering.
Bus journeys may take longer to ensure no crowding when getting on or off of the bus, and students are asked to be patient and wait 15 minutes past the scheduled pick-up time before reporting any non-arrivals.
Students getting on, or leaving the bus must keep two metres away from the passenger in front.
During the school journey
Bus passes must be shown to the driver rather than handed over. Students must fill the bus from the back and leave from the front, avoiding passing others in the aisle.
And passengers must use the hand sanitiser provided when entering and leaving the bus. Passengers are also asked not to invade another passenger or the driver’s space.
At the end of the school journey
Students must take all belongings with them when exiting, as it will be more difficult to return forgotten items during this time.
Passengers must check outside the bus before they exit and keep two metres away from other students or public passing by.
Train travel
Students travelling to school by train must wear a facemask if they are aged 11 or older unless they have a valid exemption. For full rules on public transport use visit the UK Government website.
