Corine: ‘That you sit powerlessly waiting until they come home’.

Corine: ‘That you sit powerlessly waiting until they come home’.

After a roundtable and debate in the House of Representatives, there is much attention on the problems around student transport. But which parents actually deal with it? And what problems do they face? Corine van Hardeveld is such a parent. Her children go to special education. They live in Veenendaal and the school is in Amersfoort. Every workday a taxi bus drives back and forth to bring and pick up the children at school. That sounds clear. But unfortunately, it is not.

‘I notice that I start to be on edge,’ says Corine van Hardeveld. ‘This morning the regular driver was on time. But my daughter was very upset and did not want to go to school. Normally you would drop her off at school and then it would be fine. Now you know she has to sit in a taxi bus for another hour and you just hope she will calm down a bit.’ Working nearby is difficult. ‘I have now started to work night shifts. So I can work at night. Then I work until 6 o’clock and then I can go home and, together with my husband, get the children ready to leave. As soon as the children are gone, I can sleep.’ Fortunately, everything went well today. ‘The regular driver is a treasure. He called me to say she calmed quickly and walked quietly into the classroom. That makes it easier to send her tomorrow too.’

Stability is essential

Corine has a good bond with the regular driver. ‘I sometimes say: he is like a grandpa to the children. Very caring, very kind, the children know what to expect. They have a fixed place in the bus. Our daughter also has an anxiety disorder. Besides her language development disorder (TOS), she has selective mutism and then it is very important to have stability.’ That is missing when the regular driver is not there. ‘That causes much unrest and has a big impact. Recently the regular driver was on vacation for 3 weeks. Then it is a drama. The taxi comes only around half past 9. That is because they have too few drivers. Then the children arrive at school only at quarter to 11.’ That is more than 2 hours after lessons started. ‘Very annoying for the children. Then they get stared at by other children who ask why they are late again.’ Luckily the school thinks along to prevent her children from missing too much schoolwork. ‘The school changed the lessons. They would start the day, for example, not with reading but with math. We also have a fixed contact person who contacts the transport company herself. At school you feel heard and seen, but I do not feel that at the transport company at all.’

Corine often tried to call the transport company. ‘I was always put on hold. That lasted fifteen to thirty minutes. Then I was suddenly disconnected. You think: nobody answers here.’ And even if there is an answer, this has no effect. ‘An employee once promised to check what was possible. Later I heard she got scolded from above. Apparently it was not allowed to see if it could be done differently.’ It is good that the municipality is now the contact point. ‘The person who deals with this for the municipality has already had several talks with the transport company. I now have an agreement with the municipality that I call them and no longer the transport company. I freeze and tears come when I have to call again. The waiting tune is enough to give me stomach pain.’

Calling is still needed, because extreme situations happened recently. ‘At least the transporter forgot to pick up the children. You expected your children at home every moment, but then I got a call from school with the worrying message that the children were still there. And the taxi bus then drove straight into traffic. They got home only at half past 5. That was not nice for the children and me. You sit at home helpless, waiting for them to come home.’ But there were also other bad situations. ‘The bus stopped further down the street. When I walked there, the driver shouted angrily that we were not in the system and had given the wrong house number. While the children have been picked up and brought for a long time.’ It was clear the driver was stressed. ‘She yelled at me and the children. The children only cried. I put them to bed crying. They were very tired. They said the driver kept shouting. She also told me the children were very difficult. But that was the other way around too.’ But there were many other incidents. ‘I asked the driver if I could get the car seat for my daughter. The driver said no seat would be taken because there was no time. At such a moment I freeze too. I do not know what to say.’ The morning did not go well. ‘The driver was in a big hurry. She barely could drive. Turning the bus did not work and I think: I hand over my children to her. At home you worry: I hope they arrive well in Amersfoort. I hope she drives calmly. I hope she does not fly over those bumps.’

Corine finds it difficult to describe specific situations. ‘I find it very bad to speak badly about others. I do not want to make taxi drivers look bad. They probably also have their back against the wall. I only want to make clear that there is a problem. The transport company never contacted us. While they should know it is not going well. So they better know it.’

Often the same stories

And to think this is not an exception. Many more parents face problems. ‘Unfortunately yes. When I talk to other parents at the school in Amersfoort, I often hear the same stories. The children got home only at half past 4 or were picked up too late. It is never just one transporter that is bad. You hear many different names. It is the same everywhere.’ Can Corine advise other parents? ‘Try to have good contact with the regular driver. Explain what he should keep in mind. And give the children something. I do not like children to look at screens all the time, but it helps on the bus. If the driver is grumbling about traffic, it is better to give them headphones with a video or game so they notice less. Then they can close off.’

A debate about student transport brings more attention to the problem. But Corine does not think the situation will change soon. ‘I am in survival mode with my own family. So I am not focused on it. Moreover, if something is on the political agenda, it does not mean it will be solved soon. For our youngest children now in groups 2 and 3, I hope they soon can move on to regular education. Then you do not need student transport anymore.’ She has ideas for different transport. ‘Now there are many separate transport companies; a national direction is better. Besides the driver, there should be a supervisor and this could be arranged nationally. If it is the same everywhere, it is clearer. And then there are better checks.’

Even with better checks, there are taxi drivers not fit for student transport. ‘Recently I was on my bike and saw a taxi bus from another company. The driver was smoking a cigarette behind the wheel. That made me so angry. Imagine having your children in that smoky bus. I almost called the taxi company. But then I thought: do not. Let it go.’