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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Behaviour rules for school buses | Behaviour rules for school buses |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| New rules aiming to improve safety on school transport in Wales are to be unveiled by the assembly government. | New rules aiming to improve safety on school transport in Wales are to be unveiled by the assembly government. |
| The proposals are for a new code of conduct for behaviour on buses, but critics say they do not go far enough. | The proposals are for a new code of conduct for behaviour on buses, but critics say they do not go far enough. |
| They follow the death of Stuart Cunningham-Jones, 12, when a bus from his school to his home crashed in 2002. | They follow the death of Stuart Cunningham-Jones, 12, when a bus from his school to his home crashed in 2002. |
| Stuart's Campaign was set up demanding a seat for every child with safety belts, better supervision of pupils on board and better buses. | Stuart's Campaign was set up demanding a seat for every child with safety belts, better supervision of pupils on board and better buses. |
| Transport Minister Brian Gibbons' proposals will also include providing free transport for more primary school children. | Transport Minister Brian Gibbons' proposals will also include providing free transport for more primary school children. |
| Good behaviour on school buses is essential and behaviour and safety are intrinsically linked Transport Minister Brian Gibbons | Good behaviour on school buses is essential and behaviour and safety are intrinsically linked Transport Minister Brian Gibbons |
| "School buses are the safest means of getting to school," he said. | "School buses are the safest means of getting to school," he said. |
| "Thousands of children travel on them every day and fortunately incidents are few. | "Thousands of children travel on them every day and fortunately incidents are few. |
| "Problems are the exception but when they occur, the consequences can be severe, sometimes, sadly, fatal. | "Problems are the exception but when they occur, the consequences can be severe, sometimes, sadly, fatal. |
| "Good behaviour on school buses is essential and behaviour and safety are intrinsically linked." | "Good behaviour on school buses is essential and behaviour and safety are intrinsically linked." |
| Bad behaviour by some pupils led to the driver losing control | Bad behaviour by some pupils led to the driver losing control |
| He also wants to see more primary school pupils being taken to school by bus rather than by car to help ease traffic congestion. | He also wants to see more primary school pupils being taken to school by bus rather than by car to help ease traffic congestion. |
| Following consultation, the draft measure will place a duty on every local authority in Wales to introduce a code of conduct for behaviour on buses. | Following consultation, the draft measure will place a duty on every local authority in Wales to introduce a code of conduct for behaviour on buses. |
| Dr Gibbons said the proposals would give head teachers the power to "impose sanctions for incidents on buses," amid doubt that the law as it stands gives councils the ability to take "effective action" if a pupil misbehaved on school transport. | Dr Gibbons said the proposals would give head teachers the power to "impose sanctions for incidents on buses," amid doubt that the law as it stands gives councils the ability to take "effective action" if a pupil misbehaved on school transport. |
| But Stuart's Campaign said it was "deeply disappointed" the assembly government was not making use of its new powers to create legislation. | But Stuart's Campaign said it was "deeply disappointed" the assembly government was not making use of its new powers to create legislation. |
| So far as we can see, what is being proposed treats the symptoms not the causes of misbehaviour Chris Howard, Stuart's Campaign | So far as we can see, what is being proposed treats the symptoms not the causes of misbehaviour Chris Howard, Stuart's Campaign |
| Stuart was on a double-decker carrying 75 pupils home from Cowbridge Comprehensive School when it crashed in the village of Ystradowen, where he lived. | Stuart was on a double-decker carrying 75 pupils home from Cowbridge Comprehensive School when it crashed in the village of Ystradowen, where he lived. |
| "It fails to get going on many of the key proposals on school transport accepted by all parties in the assembly last year," said a campaign spokesman. | |
| The campaign said it wanted the assembly government to seek "appropriate powers from Westminster to drive through more substantive regulations that would make Welsh school transport the safest in the UK". | |
| Chris Howard, a head teacher and chair of the campaign group, said: "We were delighted that [First Minister] Rhodri Morgan recently recognised the impact of Stuart's Campaign and indicated that this statement would do most of the things we had been asking for. It doesn't. | Chris Howard, a head teacher and chair of the campaign group, said: "We were delighted that [First Minister] Rhodri Morgan recently recognised the impact of Stuart's Campaign and indicated that this statement would do most of the things we had been asking for. It doesn't. |
| "It misses the bus by a long way. This is deeply disappointing. | "It misses the bus by a long way. This is deeply disappointing. |
| "So far as we can see, what is being proposed treats the symptoms not the causes of misbehaviour on the buses and the proposed new statutory duties for schools and local authorities seem very poorly thought through. | "So far as we can see, what is being proposed treats the symptoms not the causes of misbehaviour on the buses and the proposed new statutory duties for schools and local authorities seem very poorly thought through. |
| "If members of the Senedd are serious about safe and sustainable school transport, they will need to send it for a complete and rapid re-fit before putting it back on the road within a legislative competence order that will allow real progress to be made. | "If members of the Senedd are serious about safe and sustainable school transport, they will need to send it for a complete and rapid re-fit before putting it back on the road within a legislative competence order that will allow real progress to be made. |
| "By so doing, they will make the bus run in Wales the safest in the UK. | "By so doing, they will make the bus run in Wales the safest in the UK. |
| "Only then will they have put right the issues that lay behind the fatal crash in Cowbridge in 2002 that made our campaign necessary." | "Only then will they have put right the issues that lay behind the fatal crash in Cowbridge in 2002 that made our campaign necessary." |