A furious grandmother this week called on the council to re-think their school bus policy after her two granddaughters were put off a bus.

Jeanette Donnachie hit out after the Wishaw Press reported last week how parents and grandparents were up in arms over the re-routing of a vital school bus.

The bus was taking youngsters to St Patrick’s Primary School in Shotts.

It left pupils wiith a 20-minute walk to the nearest bus stop to be picked up.

Jeanette Donnachie takes her two granddaughters, Kyla, 6, and five-year-old Mirren from her house to the school as their parents go to work.

Council bosses insist transport can only be provided from a pupil’s address and they are unable to accommodate requests from transport from grandparents’ addresses.

Jeanette said this week: “They were put off the bus about five or six weeks ago and were very upset by this as they felt they had done something wrong.

“The rules are 25 years old and need to be looked at again.

“One of my granddaughters has been allowed back on the bus but now she won’t go without her cousin.

“I think the council should re-jig their rules.

“They should take into account children leaving from their grandparents or carers’ houses.

“Nowadays both parents are working. The council’s policy really needs to reflect modern life.”

Last week, the Wishaw Press reported how MS sufferer Reta Clark is struggling to get her five-year-old grandson to school after the bus route changed.

The bus used to go past her house but now is re-routing and the nearest bus stop is three-quarters of mile away.

Reta and more than a dozen parents, whose children are unable to use their privilege passes, because the pick- up point is too far from their homes, have begun a campaign to get the route changed back.

The council’s policy is to provide free transport for primary pupils who live more than a mile away from their local primary school and 22 pupils in the Dykehead area are entitled to free transport.

As the contractor is using a 49-seat vehicle, the remaining 27 seats have been allocated to pupils under privilege transport arrangements.

SPT manage transport arrangements on behalf of the council.

Council bosses insist transport can only be provided from a pupil’s address and they are unable to accommodate requests for transport from grandparents’ addresses.

Yesterday (Tuesday), a council spokesman said: “Our home to school transport provision is amongst the most generous of any Scottish local authority.

“We provide free school transport for children whose home address is more than one mile away from their local primary school - by the shortest acceptable walking route.

“Pupils who are not travelling from their home address or live less than a mile from their school may be eligible for Privilege Transport.

“These seats are allocated when there are vacant spaces on home to school transport.”