Stout pledges to sort student bus service

A SENIOR SIC councillor has given assurances to students at Shetland College that they will get their bus service back as soon as possible.

Chairman of the transport and environment committee, Michael Stout, said at the weekend that the SIC had made a “genuine mistake” when it cut off hundreds of college students from access to a regular bus service.

The problem arose in August when the SIC launched its revamped bus timetable, which left Shetland College with an “inappropriate” bus service.

Students have been gathering signatures via an online petition after the council failed to respond to their initial complaints.

Some students have also accused the council of breaching of the 2010 Equality Act by failing to provide a bus service with wheelchair access.

The petition reads:

“The current service provided is insufficient for the majority of students who rely on buses as transport.

“Without frequent buses, students are being affected by such matters as: walking far distances; facing bad weather; lack of flexibility; no transport suiting course times; hours of waiting; leaving classes early to catch other transport.

“The reduced bus service is not only impacting college students but also school pupils who attend Skills for Work / Vocational Pathways classes at the college every Friday.”

In a letter to Shetland MSP Tavish Scott student Donnie Schofield added that providing “inadequate transport to Shetland College is a violation of the Equality Act 2010.

“People with mobility problems are protected by this act, and they have the right to attend further education just like any other student,” she wrote.

Stout said he could not respond in detail because an official complaint had been lodged, which is now being investigated.

But he gave a commitment to work with students, the college management and council officials to find a solution.

He said: “We are committed to find a workable solution to this. “I would like to reassure folk that their concerns will be taken seriously, and that we will get a solution in place that meets their needs as soon as possible.”