Parents, school staff, and residents across the Eden Valley are voicing strong opposition to Westmorland & Furness Council’s proposal to remove passenger assistants from two Langwathby C of E Primary School bus routes.
The council is currently consulting on plans to withdraw the assistants from the T1252 and T1255 services—routes which together transport over 40 children, some as young as four, to and from school each day. The proposed change would take effect from the start of the 2026/27 academic year.
The T1252 route serves Gamblesby, Melmerby and Ousby, while the T1255 route serves Glassonby, Hunsonby, Little Salkeld and Winskill. Both routes use full-size coaches.
Passenger assistants currently help children board and alight safely, ensure seatbelts are fastened, and support the driver in managing behaviour and safety during the journey. Parents say that removing these assistants would pose unacceptable risks.
“To suggest a bus driver can safely navigate a 60-seater bus on such a route, whilst also then being given the responsibility of supervising 34 children aged four to eleven is ludicrous and unsafe. No bus driver or parent should be comfortable with the council’s proposal,” said one concerned parent talking with Penrith.Town about concerns over the council proposals.
The council says there is no statutory requirement to provide passenger assistants for mainstream pupils and that Langwathby’s arrangement is a “long-standing historical exception”, dating back to the 1970s when several local schools merged. It adds that similar assistants are only used elsewhere for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), where risk assessments require them.
However, parents argue that the comparison is unfair. Many other schools in the county use smaller vehicles such as minibuses or taxis, and children travel far shorter distances. They say that large coaches full of young children present very different safety challenges.
A community statement reads: “Passenger assistants are not a luxury—they are a safeguard. Expecting a single driver to manage both vehicle operation and the welfare of dozens of young children is unreasonable and unsafe. Our children deserve the same level of care and protection as any other.”
The Council is holding consultation meetings at Langwathby Village Hall tomorrow (Thursday 16th October) between 4pm and 6.30pm and has already had a met with school Governors earlier this month ahead of tomorrow’s Parents and stakeholders meeting.
Parents and members of the community are being urged to respond to the consultation before a decision is made.
You can complete the consultation form online at: www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/Langwathby-school-transport
Community members who are not parents or carers can still take part by selecting “Other” on the form and noting “Concerned community member”.
As the consultation continues, many in Langwathby and surrounding villages are calling for the council to reconsider its proposal—arguing that the safety and wellbeing of the area’s youngest pupils must remain the top priority.
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