News

School bus overcrowding sparks safety concerns

04 Sep 2026 3 minute read

Pupils in Monmouthshire were packed onto a bus on the first day of term – Image: Laura Anne Jones Facebook

Emily Price

Concerns have been raised about the safety of school children in a Welsh county after an image taken on the first day of the new term showed pupils packed like sardines into a public bus.

Sir Fynwy Torfaen Member of the Senedd Laura Anne Jones said she received several complaints from parents and pupils in Monmouthshire on Thursday (September 3) regarding changes to the county’s home-to-school transport arrangements.

Under Monmouthshire County Council’s new policy, some children who previously received dedicated school transport are instead expected to use public bus services if they live within the certain distance of a bus stop.

Exceptions apply to pupils in Years 7 and 8 and those with extenuating circumstances.

Jones said that one public service was carrying 51 pupils during the morning journey between Usk and Monmouth yesterday.

She shared a photograph to social media taken by a pupil which showed children already standing on the crammed bus after it left Usk, with further pupils boarding in Raglan and at other stops along the route.

The journey to Monmouth can take around 40 minutes.

Jones said she had received numerous complaints from parents on the first day back at school and called on the council to take urgent action.

Monmouthshire County Council has since promised that a larger bus will be made available on the route.

However, Jones raised further concerns about whether the replacement vehicle had sufficient capacity to meet demand.

Monmouthshire council also said it would examine timetables and explore alternative bus arrangements.

Jones criticised the local authority’s school transport policy, arguing that the changes placed additional pressure on families, particularly those living in rural areas.

She said: “The first responsibility of any government should be to safeguard children, protect their wellbeing and make sure they are in the best possible position to start their school day and to learn.”

The Reform MS also argued that charges for school transport were unaffordable for some families.

She criticised arrangements requiring some sixth-form pupils to pay for their own daily bus travel.

Jones said: “Children should arrive at school happy, safe and ready to learn, not exhausted, uncomfortable or anxious before the school day has even begun.

“The Labour Monmouthshire County Council policy, supported by a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government, has taken away home-to-school transport from even more children this year and put them on unsuitable public transport.

“It also charges extortionate prices for the services the council does provide, punishing those who live in rural areas and making sixth-formers pay for the bus themselves every day. These are the wrong policy decisions.

“It’s not fair, it’s unaffordable for many hard-working families and it’s not good for pupils’ wellbeing to stand around in the cold and wet, endure lengthy waits for a public bus or feel unsafe on the bus they use. It is just not acceptable.”

Monmouthshire County Council was invited to comment.

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