A potential fix to concerns over the 1.6-kilometre busing policy is being tested by the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, but the fix isn’t fast enough for opposition members.
The policy has been controversial for years, with protests held at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. The policy means students who live within 1.6 km of their school are not offered free bus rides to their homes or nearest bus stop.
This year, a “courtesy stop” is being tested within the school district that will see a single stop placed at around the halfway mark of the 1.6 kilometre policy, to cut down the number of students walking the entire way from school.
Debate was heated in the House of Assembly late last week as the Progressive Conservatives pushed government to repeal the policy altogether.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Al Hawkins says the policy has been controversial since he took over the minister’s portfolio from ousted Education Minister Dale Kirby, but the policy is common across the country.
“Go look across Canada. There’s no one single province in the country that has a zero-km policy,” said Hawkins.
“That’s why it’s important to review, to look at, to determine what would be best.”
But Tory MHA David Brazil says there’s been enough review.
The Tories put forward a private member’s motion asking government to repeal the matter on Wednesday, to which the Liberals passed an amendment asking for more review. As a result, the Tories voted against their own motion; they believe now is the time to act.
“It is a rural-urban divide — the unsafe roads with no sidewalks. In the rural areas, it’s not just that they don’t have sidewalks, it’s that they don’t have sidewalks on major provincial roads going through the communities.”
NDP MHA Lorraine Michael
“The 1.6 busing issue — particularly in growth areas where there’s a lot of traffic — is causing havoc for people,” said Brazil.
“I’m asking for (Hawkins) to come up with a solution that works. He talks about the additional courtesy stop, which offers very little. The courtesy seating is one of the key components that starts to address the issue.”
Courtesy seating is offered to students within the 1.6 km if there is space on a bus for them. Parents can apply for the seating for their children and if there’s space, they’ll be placed on a bus with the students who live further away.
NDP Critic Lorraine Michael agrees there’s been enough study of the matter. More than that, she worries about a rural-urban divide over the issue, as population density tends to make the policy easier to handle in cities over rural communities.
“When I was a child, I could walk right across Lemarchant Road, down Military Road, to my school, and the bus went along that route — it didn’t matter,” said Michael.
“It is a rural-urban divide — the unsafe roads with no sidewalks. In the rural areas, it’s not just that they don’t have sidewalks, it’s that they don’t have sidewalks on major provincial roads going through the communities.”
Michael says the issue isn’t walking, it’s safety.
“I’d like our children to be able to walk or bike, but it’s got to be safe. Where it’s not safe, then we have to be able to allow them to go on busses,” she said.
Next steps on the 1.6-kilometre busing policy will come in the next school year.
david.maher@thetelegram
