Nancy van Bommel’s confidence in student transport is completely gone. Her nine-year-old son Senn is deaf and goes to a special school in Sint-Michielsgestel. The family lives alone in Asten and that is why the boy uses student transport. Only the school taxi forgot to pick him up three times.
The problems surrounding Senn’s student transport have been going on for some time now. Last school year he was on the bus with two children with whom it did not click. The pair have very different limitations than he does. “All parents, and also the municipality of Asten, thought that our children should no longer be transported together. It caused too much unrest among all children,” says mother Nancy.
“Everyone was immediately stressed.”
To everyone’s surprise, the students were scheduled together again. “Everyone was immediately stressed. We didn’t hear this until the Friday before school started again,” says Nancy. She managed to get a local taxi company to take her son and a girl from Someren to school from now on. “That company is doing well now, unfortunately they have no capacity for the way back.”
It is still provided by Munckhof and taxi partner Van Helvoort. Last Monday and Tuesday, and last Monday, Senn was not picked up from school. “It was that the school itself immediately called Helvoort and not Munckhof, otherwise he would have been home much later,” says Nancy, still frustrated.
“This is really not possible and we have had a very strong conversation.”
They are very disappointed at Munckhof. “The driver made a mistake, there was an error in the computer system. Subsequently, there was insufficient control,” explains Bas de Smit of the taxi company. “It was a combination of human errors and bad luck, but even then this is really not possible. We had a very solid conversation.”
Furthermore, students are not allowed to travel for longer than an hour, only according to Nancy, Senn is regularly on the road for much longer. “His van also has to drop off two children in Helmond. From Sint-Michielsgestel, via Helmond to Asten, if everything goes well, you don’t even drive in an hour.” The drivers say it’s traffic. “That’s not right, the route is just too long.”
“It’s choosing between two evils.”
Taxi company Munckhof acknowledges this. “We have to choose between two evils. Due to the staff shortage, we have to plan as efficiently as possible. So that’s why we stop in Helmond, but then it is almost impossible to get to that hour. Only in this way do we know that Senn will at least come home. “
The taxi company says it is doing everything it can to recruit additional drivers. “We pay for driver training and there is a signing bonus,” says Bas de Smit. “Finding only suitable people remains difficult. The drivers not only drive the bus, but are also a kind of social and pedagogical worker, discussion leader and referee.”
“Possible extra costs don’t matter.”
The municipality of Asten is also not happy with the situation. “We are only dependent on the market, which is very tight now. Senn is entitled to good transport and that there may be extra costs associated with this is not a problem,” says a spokeswoman.
Friday afternoon there seems to be a solution. From now on Senn will be driven home directly from school by Van Helvoort. “An extra driver has been found, which makes this solo ride possible,” says De Smit. Mother Nancy is relieved. “A solo ride was not a requirement, but if he is home on time, it is good.”