A PARENT has hit out at a firm for overcrowding its school buses "like cattle trucks".
Paul Ellis, of Barnsley Road, Flockton, said his children - Vicky, 16, and Stuart, 15 - were pupils at Shelley High School.
They catch the 426 Yorkshire Traction bus every day, but, more and more, the company sent a single- decker instead of a double-decker, leaving about 40 children standing up, he said.
"It's just not safe," said Mr Ellis. "After the school bus incident involving Marc Jackson, who was badly hurt, you would have thought that bus companies would be more responsible."
Marc, a pupil of Colne Valley High School, Linthwaite, suffered serious injuries when he fell from a bus which had its doors open.
Mr Ellis said the Shelley bus had a long distance to travel from the high school to Emley and Flockton.
It was not safe to travel so far with so many children on board.
"It's like a cattle truck on some days.
"My daughter is epileptic and it is not good for her to be thrown about on winding roads through the villages.
"It seems that they just put a single- decker on when they are short of double- deckers.
"It doesn't take much for there to be an accident.
"I have written to the police about it and am awaiting a reply."
John Brough, assistant district manager for Yorkshire Traction, said he did not know of a loading problem at Shelley.
"On occasions we have breakdowns and a shortage of buses and sometimes it is a very delicate balance.
"Do we delay the service until we get something else or do we use a replacement bus?" said Mr Brough.
He said large single- deckers could hold more people standing up than the double- deckers, making the overall difference in numbers about 10.
"The 426 is scheduled to be a double- decker service. I will speak to the supervisor and will give it priority if we can. But we cannot guarantee it."
