Save our school buses

WHEN MAESTEG Socialist Party held a meeting to get locals involved in the campaign against cuts to free school buses, only two local people were at the meeting at first. But then the door burst open and ten teenagers came in.

They listened intently and made some excellent contributions to the discussion. Their willingness to fight was inspiring.

Bridgend council say that secondary school children should live more than three miles away to qualify for free transport to school. If the plans go ahead. no child in the entire valley would be eligible. Children will be expected to walk up to six miles a day in wet, cold conditions - or resort to going by car.

The council's false concerns about 'the environment' and 'childhood obesity' don't fool the locals. The Socialist Party has been making huge efforts to channel their anger into an organised protest.

We will be organising a protest outside the Bridgend council offices on 14 February. The school students vowed to publicise this via email, MSN and myspace and to hand out leaflets at school.