THE regional authority which operates the yellow school bus service says arrangements will be in place for the children of families who applied for places for their child via postal forms earlier this year.

Calderdale parent Sean Kelly said he was one of several he knew who had applied for a school bus place for his child using a paper-based application form back in March. But after lockdown was imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic he and others feared they had not been processed, remaining in West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Wellington House building in Leeds while staff were working from home.

He suspected there would be many parents throughout West Yorkshire in the same position of uncertainty as to whether their child had a place.

“We have just found out this week that West Yorkshire Combined Authority have not opened the postal applications as their staff remain working from home.

Spending £2.5m a month on non-existent bus journeys described as 'outrageous’

“Despite this, they have proceeded to allocate school bus places ignoring the posted in forms, some of which will be for Year 7 children who have priority for places.

“Also as the allocation criteria is that early applications get priority, those parents that applied in March by post will not receive a place, but those that applied online in July will do so,” said Mr Kelly.

And at last week’s meeting of the full Calderdale Council, Coun Amanda Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem, Warley) said there were concerns about the places and also about social distancing, asking for parents to be reassured their children will be safe using the buses.

“Several parents have got in touch with me because there has been an issue of some of the application forms have been locked in Wellington House and not being looked at,” she said.

Calderdale Liberal Democrats have been concerned about both issues, social distancing and what has happened to the paper forms for places.

Leader of Calderdale Council, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) said WYCA had published guidance on social distancing and he would take up the issue of the paper forms.

A West Yorkshire Combined Authority spokesperson said school bus places would be available for children of parents who had submitted them in paper form back in March.

“We have processed 19,000 online applications for places on school buses ahead of the start of the new school year.

“A small number of paper applications could not be processed in the usual way because of COVID-19 restrictions but arrangements are in place to ensure that school bus places are available for those children,” he said.

The spokesperson said information about school transport, including the guidelines on social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, was available at www.wymetro.com/schools.

He added that anyone concerned about their application for a school bus place should contact (0113) 3481122 or email EducationCustomerServices@westyorks-ca.gov.uk