A POPULAR bus route to a Bromsgrove school has been axed, leaving some students without transport in September.

The S83 which services Redditch to North Bromsgrove High School has been withdrawn as operator, Diamond Bus, deemed the service ‘unsustainable’.

Worcestershire County Council has replaced the S83 with the BG83 which will run from Well Brook Nursery, Cobbs Barn Farm, Alvechurch, Rednal and then to North Bromsgrove High School.

However, this leaves students from Redditch without a service.

Nick Gibson, headteacher of North Bromsgrove High School said: "It is disappointing that a decision has been taken by WCC Transport, without consultation with NBHS, to replace the original S83 bus with a service which does not follow the original route and does not offer the surety of a bus pass for our existing and prospective students who travel from the Redditch area.

“North Bromsgrove High School fundamentally disagrees and opposes this decision taken by WCC Transport as it does not act in the best interests of our students and families who attend our school.

"North Bromsgrove has taken feedback from concerned parents and has subsequently expressed to WCC Transport that it must urgently reconsider its decision and re-establish the original bus route, and also offer all students who wish to travel with a guaranteed seat and bus pass."

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said they have stepped in to “ensure those pupils who are entitled to free home to school transport will have access to a service.”

“The new route will be a WCC contracted school route rather than commercially operated, as it was previously,” added the spokesperson.

“The county council has a statutory obligation to provide transport for passengers who meet the criteria of the Home to School Transport policy arrangements, and the service needs to be implemented to reflect this. “