Geelong Lutheran College banned from using school bus route that three other schools currently using

A Connewarre dad says it beggars belief Geelong council has banned one school’s bus from a route currently used by three other schools.

Connewarre dad Daniel Timms wants the school bus his son, Charles, takes to be able to use Bluestone School Rd, which is already used by other school buses and is signposted a bus route. Picture: Mark Wilson

A Connewarre dad has slammed a bizarre bureaucratic bus ban that has stopped his son’s school using a route because it’s inappropriate for heavy vehicles, despite three other schools currently running buses along the same stretch.

Daniel Timms said the City of Greater Geelong banning Geelong Lutheran College’s bus from Bluestone School Rd meant his 12-year-old son Charles would have to cross a 100km/h zone on Barwon Heads Rd to get home after school.

Using Bluestone School Rd would allow the bus to bypass the 100km/h zone on Barwon Heads Rd, which runs for about 3km.

“(Council) has turned around and said no (to using Bluestone School Rd). It’s stupid because (other schools) are using it. It’s just frustrating,” Mr Timms, who lives off the road, said.

“We pay over $700 for the bus for the year and it’s not even worth it; if we have to get into the car to go and drop him off at a bus stop what’s the point? He needs to do it independently.

“I’m still picking Charles up and dropping him off because of this issue.

“This should be easy but it’s actually hard … all I want is Charles to get to school, and home, on his own without intervention from us.”

City of Greater Geelong acting director of city services, David Greaves, said management of Bluestone School Rd was shared between COGG and the Surf Coast Shire.

“The City has not approved buses to use this route, however there may be a sign within the section of Bluestone School Road that is managed by Surf Coast Shire, which is the section between Breamlea Road and Barwon Heads Road,” Mr Greaves said.

“Bluestone School Road is a rural road that has not been designed or have capacity for buses or heavy vehicles.

“There is a 3-tonne load limit for the section of Bluestone School Road that is managed by the City of Greater Geelong.

The Victorian government has invested $5.2 million to improve Barwon Heads Rd, Black Rock and Staceys Roads, Connewarre, which is delivering a new roundabout at this intersection.

“The City is waiting to hear more information about construction dates and will provide this to the bus company once available.”

A sign on Bluestone School Rd says the road is a school bus route in the morning and afternoon.

Mr Timms said ideally the Geelong Lutheran College bus should be allowed use Bluestone School Rd, but if that was not permitted he would like Barwon Heads Rd to be dropped from 100km/h to 80km/h near the intersection of Bluestone School Rd where his son would be crossing the road when he got off the school bus.

Originally published as Geelong Lutheran College banned from using school bus route that three other schools currently using