Carte de transport...compulsory?

[Wendy]

Can anyone tell me if a bus pass is compulsory if a kid has to take a public bus to school?. By 'public' I mean that the general public also travel on the same bus so I dont mean a private vehicle just for the use of school kids.  For various reasons we did not get around to renewing my sons' bus pass this year and I have been giving him his fare in change every morning since September. The driver has started refusing him travel if I dont get him a bus pass. He is refusing to accept the money from my son and even left him standing at the bus stop in the village yesterday as he will not let him on the bus anymore without the pass. We enquired at the College 3 weeks ago and a staff member called the Conseil General for us and was informed over the phone by Conseil General that he can pay his fare daily if we wished. However, this particular driver seems to have taken it upon himself to demand that I buy a bus pass. Frankly, Im refusing and am getting ready to tell him to stick it. By the way, we have done our figures and it works out cheaper to pay daily.

[opas]

Wen, I would have thought that as this bus is a public service and not the school sevice then you have the right to pay to use the service as and when you decide. Have you tried contacting the company that supply the service?  Why not go down to the bus stop with him and ensure this guy lets him on. On our public service you can buy 10 carnets for the price of 8 ( or similar) why not buy a load of tickets and then he will not have to trouble himself with the cash.

As you have the conseil general in your corner, ring again and ask for a letter to show on the bus and make a complaint to the company enclosing a copy of this letter.

Incicently, our eldest goes on school transport, she has missed it on a few occassions when she has spent too long in the bathroom beautifying herself and one of us has to get the car out, this morning she missed it as it letf 10 mins early........I have written a note in her carnet to show la vie scolaire and asked them to contact the bus company to ensure he sticks to his timetable as I do not always have a car to use.

will also pm you on a different matter

[Wendy]

Thanks for the advice Opas, Im pretty sure this bus company was contacted as we had to give info regarding the actual bus my son gets. Ive a feeling the driver is miffed we went over his head.  Its funny, on the occasions Ive stood with him at the bus stop the driver lets him on, says nothing, but then needles him during the trip...when I'm NOT there he gets the most hassles. Mind you, its only this one particular driver that does this. This bus company does not do books of tickets either.  Yep, Allan has missed this bus on many a time as well when it has turned up as much as 15 minutes early!.