Special needs school's bus cut due to petrol crisis
Jacob Phillips
The school bus is under threat due to the petrol shortage. - Credit: BBC LNPS
Special needs students have seen their school bus cut as the petrol crisis prevented their crucial travel service from filling up.
Students at Brent’s Village School depend on a special service provided by Brent Council to get into school.
However, parents were sent a text at 7.15am today (September 28) explaining the service had to be cancelled following panic buying in the area.
Burcu Akin’s autistic 10-year-old daughter Mila relies on the service to get to school.
The mum was held up in an hour-long traffic jam trying to get past queuing panic buyers at nearby petrol stations.
She said: “It’s a huge deal for us. It’s very disruptive for an autistic child. She thinks we are back in Covid.
“I don’t even know if my child will get picked up today.”
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Londoners have been queuing for up to seven hours to get fuel as panic buying swept across the capital over the past five days.
Queues of up to 50 cars have been spotted waiting outside petrol stations at 6.30am while fights have also broken out over petrol in North London.
Despite Secretary of Transport Grant Shapps saying there is not a fuel shortage, buyers have again clogged up roads in an attempt to fill their motors.
Advice from the government at the moment is for commuters to avoid petrol stations, stop panic buying and be assured that there is no petrol shortage.
Mr Shapps announced on Twitter on Sunday (September 26): “Another 4,000 to be trained as HGV drivers, army to increase testing capacity by thousands and temp visa scheme until Christmas.
“This is all part of a further package of measures we’re announcing to support the haulage and food sectors to deal with driver shortage.”
A Brent Council spokesperson said: “Our school transport service is operated by Harrow Council on behalf of Brent Council.
“We are aware they have experienced some fuel supply problems as a consequence of the panic buying and have been unable to provide transport to the Village School this morning.
“We hope any disruption will be short-lived and are working with Harrow Council to ensure that is the case.”
The Village School has been contacted for comment.
