Important: New mandatory ticket process for Wednesday lunchtime buses below

Dear Senior School Parents,

Hope that the New Year is going well. I am writing with an update on the Wednesday Lunchtime service.

As part of BLOC Bus’s routine usage checks, a roster was taken on Wednesday 11^th January 2023 (the first Wednesday of the term) to ascertain the capacity levels. This was undertaken given the School’s sudden change in the S1 timetable, which created a potential increase in demand.

1. Capacity levels on the bus were sufficient for all BLOC users to get a seat
2. 26 pupils who were not registered with BLOC tried to board the bus

If the unregistered pupils had boarded, this would have caused seating capacity issues. Some of the offenders stated that they usually travelled with friends who were registered – which is not permitted. Other students gave false names, using the names of registered users. Most of the offending pupils were in S3 and S5.

To ensure that our registered users (and only our registered users) have a seat available, BLOC bus and the school have introduced a new ticket process to ride the Wednesday Lunchtime buses. This was also publicised in last Friday’s school newsletter:

Wednesday Lunchtime Bus Ticket Process

This applies to Wednesday lunchtime buses only.

1. The senior school students registered with BLOC Bus, as Full-time or Part-time PM users, need to collect a ticket from Christie Van As during the first break on each Wednesday (between 9:50 -10:10).
   
   Tickets can ONLY be collected during the first break on a Wednesday.
   
2. Christie will check names against a list of registered users, which she has received from the BLOC bus committee.
   
3. The ticket is pre-determined and based on the bus stop they are registered to use, there will be no ability to switch buses.
   
4. The students will have to give the ticket to the bus driver who will let them on.
   
5. There will be no riding without a ticket.

Given that we now have more registered Senior pupils eligible to use the bus (following the school timetable change), tickets will be issued on a first-come basis.

BLOC takes no responsibility for pupils not collecting a ticket and if any pupil is found to be abusing the process, they will be denied future usage.

Botley Road Closure: Bus 1&3 March 2023

The Wednesday lunchtime Bus 1 & 3 service cannot operate when the Botley road closes.

We do not yet know when the Botley Road will close, but sometime after half term in March 2023 looks likely.

BLOC will give as much notice as possible, but this is dependent on the information received from the council.

If you use this service, please start to make your plans for the cancellation of Bus 1 & 3 Wednesday lunchtime service. There will be no option to take the other Bus (2,4,11 & 14) as demand will exceed the number of seats.

Andre Moriarty (Registrar) and Jamie Downing (Chair)