Parents in Middle Sackville unhappy with school bus courtesy service changes

Morning school bus service for students not eligible for the standard service has been cancelled for 18 students in Middle Sackville, N.S., and parents say they’re unhappy about it.

Known as courtesy busing, the Halifax Regional School Board offers up remaining seats on school buses for younger students who live within 2.4 kilometres of their school and, subsequently, aren’t guaranteed a spot.

“You’ve got, now, issues of parents having to maybe lose their jobs because they have to take their children out of the daycare that they’re in, or rearrange things. It’s a life-changing, big impact,” concerned parent Mark Branscombe said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You've got, now, issues of parents having to maybe lose their jobs because they have to take their children out of the daycare that they're in, or rearrange things. It's a life-changing, big impact," concerned parent Mark Branscombe said.

READ MORE: HRSB to ask province to consider changing bus service distance eligibility

He said his child isn’t impacted by the changes but he’s worried about the students who’ve lost it.

According to the board, 63 Sackville Heights Elementary School students will continue to be able to use the service during the afternoon, but only 45 of them can use it during the morning commute.

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The change began on Thursday, and the community was notified two weeks ago.

WATCH: Changes to routes means some Halifax area students who had a spot on a school bus last year may not have one this year

2:02 ‘No way that’s safe for little kids’: Halifax parents worry about school bus route changes

Doug Hadley, a spokesperson for the board, said Stock Transportation, the company that operates the buses,  has been using one bus for the sole purpose of providing courtesy service, and that goes against the board’s policy.

“They need that bus doing runs elsewhere to meet the needs of those students who are eligible,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They need that bus doing runs elsewhere to meet the needs of those students who are eligible," he said.

Branscombe said he thinks that the intersection of Lucasville and Old Sackville roads, near the school, can be dangerous for young children to cross, so he’s concerned about the students who might now need travel through it by foot.

Hadley the principal of Sackville Heights asked the municipal government for more safety measures in the area.