Parents are pushing for a public school bus in Eynesbury, with 100 children registered to use a community bus that has just 57 seats.
Eynesbury mother Jo, who has a son in grade 2 at Exford Primary School, about seven kilometres from their home, said the need for a proper service in the growing estate was clear.
“There’s not enough seats,” she said. “Our body corporate fees pay for this bus yet we can’t get our kids on it.”
Cr Kathy Majdlik moved a motion at this month’s Melton council meeting that the council raise the matter with the state government.
“I’ve spoken to parents about the dilemma and disconnect their children in Eynesbury are experiencing due to the lack of public transport and no education facilities,” she said.
“The growing Eynesbury and Waterford community continues to put pressure on the school and on road traffic.”
Exford Primary School council president Bonnie Lang said more than a third of the school’s 330 pupils were from Eynesbury.
Many parents were forced to drop their children off and go to work late.
“The principal and vice-principal are out there trying to work out how to get these kids home,’’ Ms Lang said. ‘‘It’s a nightmare.”
A Public Transport Victoria spokeswoman said a review of Melton’s school buses would be conducted this year.
She said that in the past 12 months, PTV had received three requests for a service from Eynesbury to Melton.
“Eynesbury residents currently have access to a developer-funded bus until such time that a traditional public transport service is introduced,” she said.
“Consideration to providing public transport services will be given as the population of Eynesbury grows and demand for services exists.”
