The Department of Transport rejected my application for a bus pass for my daughter to attend Woy Woy High School next year for Year 10.
I realise the walk to school is just near the limit allowed, but that was not my main concern.
There are no footpaths nearly all the way to the new school and I consider that dangerous, as there are some atrocious drivers in our area.
I have been nearly cleaned up just reversing out of the driveway as they break the speed limits constantly.
It only takes one street hoon to have a near miss and hit a pedestrian who must walk on the bad roads – no kerbs, stormwater or footpaths.
So with the rejection I must now drive my daughter to school and pay even more fuel costs out of my pension.
Her walk is an estimated half hour lugging a backpack weighing 6-10kg both ways.
One hour doing that in the Summer heat may cause a heat-related issue.
We have a bus stop 50m away which would have solved all problems, but no.
The tightwads at Opal and the Transport Department have rejected an obvious solution.
They will save a few bucks omitting her from a bus but now I must join the throng of cars jamming up (roads) at the schools.
The politicians who make these rules get a Gold Card but my kid can’t even get a plastic one.
I bet their kids don’t walk on crap roads to school.
Email, Nov 21
John Strang, Woy Woy
That’s terrible! have you complained to the school, put in an official complaint to the authorities or asked a service if there is a social worker who can request a review on your behalf? Ridiculous that you have to be put through the bureaucratic torment just to get basic entitlement to school transport. There are many reasons I wouldn’t want a high school student walking half an hour to school.