Bus availability will put strain on students

The increase in bus fares will have a negative impact on families already struggling to send their children to school, President of the Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors (BAGC) Margaret Grant has said.

However, she said it was an opportunity for schools and non-governmental organisations to come together to create different programmes to help those most in need.

As from April 15, bus fares will increase from $2 to $3.50.

Grant said while school children would still ride free on the Transport Board buses while in uniform there were many of them who simply could not catch those buses because of the constraints facing the board.

“In every school there is a programme that is designed to help students who are in need whether it be breakfast or lunch and busfare. Seeing that the Transport Board has the school children free, that is not an issue but we know also that the Transport Board has its limitations so some children are forced to catch the private PSVs,” said Grant who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 13th National Career Showcase at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

“I think it will also push schools, parent teacher associations, NGOs to now come together and see how we can help each other. But at the same time, rather than looking out, within each school I think there are some programmes that can be developed – we can have some fundraising events that can really go towards a fund to help children who are in need. So I think it is just a need to look out for each other and being creative at the same time,” said Grant.