Dad's frustration over Dalton-on-Tees bus service cut

Alistair McGregor, who lives in Dalton-on-Tees, between Darlington and Northallerton, has been left angered after his son Lewis had his bus service to college cut at the end of 2023. 

Despite being a high-flying A-Level student at Northallerton School and Sixth Form, Lewis was told 11 months ago that his bus would no longer be running and that alternative arrangements for transport would need to be made. 

Lewis McGregor from Dalton on Tees (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Since then, lifts from kind-hearted people in Dalton-on-Tees, using the public bus and lifts from dad Alistair have become the normality.

Lewis only moved to England from India in 2022 and struggled to find a school place, but eventually moved to Northallerton School, where he aced his GCSEs and is currently studying four A-levels; maths, further maths, chemistry and physics.

After trying to find another route to school, including the public bus, which would get him to college almost an hour and a half early, Lewis and dad Alistair have been left at the end of their tether on their transport woes and have called on the council for a 'sustainable' fix.

Alistair has become so desperate to get his son to college that he is considering buying a bus and taking his son Lewis and other 'stranded children' to school and college. 

Northallerton School and Sixth Form (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Mr McGregor claims that adding Dalton-on-Tees to the bus route only adds less than ten miles per day to the route.

Finance figures shared with Mr McGregor by North Yorkshire Council show that the cost of running the bus each day was £325 per day, or £61,750 per year, with the bus excluding Dalton-on-Tees costing the council £299 per day, or £56,810 per year.

The father now believes that the £26 per day saving that comes with leaving Dalton-on-Tees from the route is "non-sensical". 

Dad's frustration over Dalton-on-Tees bus service cut:

He said: "It's been a tough time for the family. Having to try and arrange lists from villagers for Lewis isn't great, and is bad for family friends because they feel bad if they can't do it, and Lewis feels bad and feels a burden on people. 

"It's good that there's community spirit around here and thank everyone who has helped - but there's surely a more sustainable solution?

Lewis McGregor next to the bus stop (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) "I'm strongly convinced that buying a bus and getting a contract with a bus company would be a better solution at this stage - which is crazy.

"We've had to get used to this but it's still an infuriating situation."

According to Mr McGregor, the council have said that Lewis isn't entitled to free school bus services, due to Northallerton School being 'outside' the catchment area; a decision that has angered the family and those close to the family in Dalton-on-Tees.

The father believes that the situation will only be solved when Lewis goes to university next year, with the teenager having provisional offers from several universities across the UK.

In response, North Yorkshire County Council has said that the bus route that Lewis got to Northallerton School was cut because no other student used it and that Northallerton School isn't his catchment school, with other options nearer to Lewis and his family.

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for education and skills, Amanda Newbold, said: “All young people carrying on their education after the age of 16 can apply for travel support and where eligible, families must contribute to the cost.

"To qualify, the sixth form or college which a student wishes to attend should be their local catchment school or the nearest college to their home. This establishment must also be within a walking distance of three miles."

“For the village of Dalton-on-Tees, the catchment school for the home address is Richmond School and Sixth Form College, which is more than 10 miles away.

"The nearest sixth-form provision is Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, which is five miles away. Therefore this student would unfortunately not qualify for assistance with transport to Northallerton School and Sixth Form College as this is further away.

“The service from Dalton-on-Tees to Northallerton School and Sixth Form College was withdrawn as there are no other pupils eligible for travel that required this route.”