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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Dec 16, 2020 22:13:12 GMT
I heard that the extras could go all the way to March next year. Is that true? I believe when they were initially introduced the hope was that the removal of free child travel would prevent their need eventually. However as common sense finally prevailed, these extras are now going to be needed until the Pandemic is under control so I see them lasting until the government allow easing of social distancing.
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Post by snowman on Dec 16, 2020 22:19:50 GMT
I heard that the extras could go all the way to March next year. Is that true? These tend to be decided quite late depending on the Covid situation I suspect these have initially extended to start of half term (Friday 12 Feb) My guess (and I don’t know what will happen) is that resuming them on Monday 22 Feb will depend on how vaccine rollout and restrictions are looking at start of February. It actually starts to get difficult to run the extras from beginning of March as TfL have agreed with Government that LEZ starts beginning of March. Virtually all the school extras are older buses that are not LEZ compliant. Clearly not going to be upgraded for a few weeks of school journeys (isn’t the time, or funds, and some don’t have approved upgrade anyway as none of that type done). However there is an option to simply pay the LEZ charge each day that they are used. Could probably be tolerated if it is to be no longer than Friday 2 April.
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Post by DT 11 on Dec 16, 2020 23:45:10 GMT
Oof, this could prove difficult for GAL as they need to start gathering the 469/B12 vehicles soon. Have they got anything to replace these on the school extras or perhaps they could lease the Arriva E200s to replace the MMCs for a little while. Looks like that may happen I guess. However are all the same extras going to continue?
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Post by vjaska on Dec 17, 2020 1:08:57 GMT
Oof, this could prove difficult for GAL as they need to start gathering the 469/B12 vehicles soon. Have they got anything to replace these on the school extras or perhaps they could lease the Arriva E200s to replace the MMCs for a little while. That seems the most logical thing to do although what could also happen is certain services don't return in January as some extras have disappeared before whilst others have been created.
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Post by snowman on Dec 17, 2020 7:56:20 GMT
Oof, this could prove difficult for GAL as they need to start gathering the 469/B12 vehicles soon. Have they got anything to replace these on the school extras or perhaps they could lease the Arriva E200s to replace the MMCs for a little while. That seems the most logical thing to do although what could also happen is certain services don't return in January as some extras have disappeared before whilst others have been created. The TfL link did not have and route number changes, or notes of routes being cut or added. However it does not go into detail about the PVRs of the extras. For GoAhead there should be 1 or 2 buses spare from shortened 493, but other Operators (eg Stagecoach) brought in some buses from outside London to help out on school extras. I struggle with concept that GoAhead Group has no spare buses nationally so would have to hire in buses.
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Post by cl54 on Dec 17, 2020 10:12:20 GMT
I heard that the extras could go all the way to March next year. Is that true? I believe when they were initially introduced the hope was that the removal of free child travel would prevent their need eventually. However as common sense finally prevailed, these extras are now going to be needed until the Pandemic is under control so I see them lasting until the government allow easing of social distancing. The original deal Mayor Khan signed up to was that travel to and from school would remain free. He was supposed to come up with a scheme to make this possible but didn't do it.
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Post by cl54 on Dec 17, 2020 10:14:15 GMT
I heard that the extras could go all the way to March next year. Is that true? These tend to be decided quite late depending on the Covid situation I suspect these have initially extended to start of half term (Friday 12 Feb) My guess (and I don’t know what will happen) is that resuming them on Monday 22 Feb will depend on how vaccine rollout and restrictions are looking at start of February. It actually starts to get difficult to run the extras from beginning of March as TfL have agreed with Government that LEZ starts beginning of March. Virtually all the school extras are older buses that are not LEZ compliant. Clearly not going to be upgraded for a few weeks of school journeys (isn’t the time, or funds, and some don’t have approved upgrade anyway as none of that type done). However there is an option to simply pay the LEZ charge each day that they are used. Could probably be tolerated if it is to be no longer than Friday 2 April. The ULEZ has been delayed to 25th October.
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Post by snowman on Dec 17, 2020 10:40:26 GMT
These tend to be decided quite late depending on the Covid situation I suspect these have initially extended to start of half term (Friday 12 Feb) My guess (and I don’t know what will happen) is that resuming them on Monday 22 Feb will depend on how vaccine rollout and restrictions are looking at start of February. It actually starts to get difficult to run the extras from beginning of March as TfL have agreed with Government that LEZ starts beginning of March. Virtually all the school extras are older buses that are not LEZ compliant. Clearly not going to be upgraded for a few weeks of school journeys (isn’t the time, or funds, and some don’t have approved upgrade anyway as none of that type done). However there is an option to simply pay the LEZ charge each day that they are used. Could probably be tolerated if it is to be no longer than Friday 2 April. The ULEZ has been delayed to 25th October. I think you are mixing up LEZ and ULEZ, the LEZ is still 1st March tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone/changes-to-the-lez
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 11:36:20 GMT
The Department for Education (DfE) is refusing to rule in or out a delayed return for English schools in January. This appeared on the Guardian website just over half-an-hour ago: ************************************************************************ Susan Acland-Hood, the Department for Education’s most senior civil servant, told MPs that “conversations were going on” over when state school pupils in England would return after the Christmas holidays, but refused to confirm reports that the start of term would be delayed.
Appearing before the Commons’ public accounts committee, Acland-Hood was questioned about claims that the start of term next month would be delayed in England. “We don’t have any plans to lengthen the Christmas holiday,” Acland-Hood said, before hinting that some changes would be announced shortly. She said: "There are conversations going on about exactly how parents and pupils will go back at the beginning of January but I’m afraid I can’t speak to the committee about that this morning."
But Meg Hillier, the committee’s chair, told Acland-Hood: "It is ludicrous that we are at the end of term, the final day for any school in England is tomorrow, and you are sitting here today and you can’t tell us any more detail about what might happen on the fourth or fifth of January next year?"
“I entirely accept that this is very difficult for people,” Acland-Hood said.
Hillier responded: "It’s not just difficult, it’s impossible. If a school is breaking up tomorrow and that means pupils and teachers and other staff will not be in school next week, how are they expected to plan for any changes in January?"www.theguardian.com/politics/series/politics-live-with-andrew-sparrow
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 13:30:47 GMT
The Department for Education (DfE) is refusing to rule in or out a delayed return for English schools in January. This appeared on the Guardian website just over half-an-hour ago: ************************************************************************ Susan Acland-Hood, the Department for Education’s most senior civil servant, told MPs that “conversations were going on” over when state school pupils in England would return after the Christmas holidays, but refused to confirm reports that the start of term would be delayed.
Appearing before the Commons’ public accounts committee, Acland-Hood was questioned about claims that the start of term next month would be delayed in England. “We don’t have any plans to lengthen the Christmas holiday,” Acland-Hood said, before hinting that some changes would be announced shortly. She said: "There are conversations going on about exactly how parents and pupils will go back at the beginning of January but I’m afraid I can’t speak to the committee about that this morning."
But Meg Hillier, the committee’s chair, told Acland-Hood: "It is ludicrous that we are at the end of term, the final day for any school in England is tomorrow, and you are sitting here today and you can’t tell us any more detail about what might happen on the fourth or fifth of January next year?"
“I entirely accept that this is very difficult for people,” Acland-Hood said.
Hillier responded: "It’s not just difficult, it’s impossible. If a school is breaking up tomorrow and that means pupils and teachers and other staff will not be in school next week, how are they expected to plan for any changes in January?"www.theguardian.com/politics/series/politics-live-with-andrew-sparrowSome more on this - it looks like most secondary years will stay at home for an extra week after the Christmas holidays, with home-schooling. Primary years, and vulnerable students and students of key workers will attend as normal. Mass testing is to be rolled out for secondary years' students which may explain the delayed start. So I would expect the school extras to be operating from 4th January.
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 13:39:51 GMT
The Department for Education (DfE) is refusing to rule in or out a delayed return for English schools in January. This appeared on the Guardian website just over half-an-hour ago: ************************************************************************ Susan Acland-Hood, the Department for Education’s most senior civil servant, told MPs that “conversations were going on” over when state school pupils in England would return after the Christmas holidays, but refused to confirm reports that the start of term would be delayed.
Appearing before the Commons’ public accounts committee, Acland-Hood was questioned about claims that the start of term next month would be delayed in England. “We don’t have any plans to lengthen the Christmas holiday,” Acland-Hood said, before hinting that some changes would be announced shortly. She said: "There are conversations going on about exactly how parents and pupils will go back at the beginning of January but I’m afraid I can’t speak to the committee about that this morning."
But Meg Hillier, the committee’s chair, told Acland-Hood: "It is ludicrous that we are at the end of term, the final day for any school in England is tomorrow, and you are sitting here today and you can’t tell us any more detail about what might happen on the fourth or fifth of January next year?"
“I entirely accept that this is very difficult for people,” Acland-Hood said.
Hillier responded: "It’s not just difficult, it’s impossible. If a school is breaking up tomorrow and that means pupils and teachers and other staff will not be in school next week, how are they expected to plan for any changes in January?"www.theguardian.com/politics/series/politics-live-with-andrew-sparrowSome more on this - it looks like most secondary years will stay at home for an extra week after the Christmas holidays, with home-schooling. Primary years, and vulnerable students and students of key workers will attend as normal. Mass testing is to be rolled out for secondary years' students which may explain the delayed start. So I would expect the school extras to be operating from 4th January. And it's confirmed there will be a "staggered return" with full schooling not until 11th January, this appeared a few minutes ago on The Guardian website: *********************************** Secondary school pupils’ return to class in England will be staggered in the first week of January, Downing Street has said.
Exam-year students will go back to school as normal after the Christmas holidays, but the majority of secondary school pupils will start the term online. As PA Media reports, it is hoped the staggered return will allow headteachers to roll out mass testing of children and staff in the new year.
At the Downing Street lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman said: "The start of the term won’t be delayed but what we are doing is asking secondary schools and colleges to operate a staggered return supported by full-time remote education during the first week of term, with in-person teaching in full starting on January 11."
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 13:43:16 GMT
I heard that the extras could go all the way to March next year. Is that true? These tend to be decided quite late depending on the Covid situation I suspect these have initially extended to start of half term (Friday 12 Feb) My guess (and I don’t know what will happen) is that resuming them on Monday 22 Feb will depend on how vaccine rollout and restrictions are looking at start of February. It actually starts to get difficult to run the extras from beginning of March as TfL have agreed with Government that LEZ starts beginning of March. Virtually all the school extras are older buses that are not LEZ compliant. Clearly not going to be upgraded for a few weeks of school journeys (isn’t the time, or funds, and some don’t have approved upgrade anyway as none of that type done). However there is an option to simply pay the LEZ charge each day that they are used. Could probably be tolerated if it is to be no longer than Friday 2 April. It would be easy enough to grant an exemption to specific vehicles used purely on schools extras.
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Post by snowman on Dec 17, 2020 13:58:30 GMT
These tend to be decided quite late depending on the Covid situation I suspect these have initially extended to start of half term (Friday 12 Feb) My guess (and I don’t know what will happen) is that resuming them on Monday 22 Feb will depend on how vaccine rollout and restrictions are looking at start of February. It actually starts to get difficult to run the extras from beginning of March as TfL have agreed with Government that LEZ starts beginning of March. Virtually all the school extras are older buses that are not LEZ compliant. Clearly not going to be upgraded for a few weeks of school journeys (isn’t the time, or funds, and some don’t have approved upgrade anyway as none of that type done). However there is an option to simply pay the LEZ charge each day that they are used. Could probably be tolerated if it is to be no longer than Friday 2 April. It would be easy enough to grant an exemption to specific vehicles used purely on schools extras. I don’t think you read the LEZ link properly, applies to vehicles used for TfL services, and vehicles with over 8 seats. But you can pay £100 per day (euroIV and V) or £300 per day (euroIII or less) to avoid the penalty. There are no exemptions unlike the ULEZ
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 16:27:28 GMT
It would be easy enough to grant an exemption to specific vehicles used purely on schools extras. I don’t think you read the LEZ link properly, applies to vehicles used for TfL services, and vehicles with over 8 seats. But you can pay £100 per day (euroIV and V) or £300 per day (euroIII or less) to avoid the penalty. There are no exemptions unlike the ULEZ This doesn't change the point I was making. Even if there are no exemptions as things stand currently, it is still possible to make them.
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 17, 2020 17:08:40 GMT
Some more on this - it looks like most secondary years will stay at home for an extra week after the Christmas holidays, with home-schooling. Primary years, and vulnerable students and students of key workers will attend as normal. Mass testing is to be rolled out for secondary years' students which may explain the delayed start. So I would expect the school extras to be operating from 4th January. And it's confirmed there will be a "staggered return" with full schooling not until 11th January, this appeared a few minutes ago on The Guardian website: *********************************** Secondary school pupils’ return to class in England will be staggered in the first week of January, Downing Street has said.
Exam-year students will go back to school as normal after the Christmas holidays, but the majority of secondary school pupils will start the term online. As PA Media reports, it is hoped the staggered return will allow headteachers to roll out mass testing of children and staff in the new year.
At the Downing Street lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman said: "The start of the term won’t be delayed but what we are doing is asking secondary schools and colleges to operate a staggered return supported by full-time remote education during the first week of term, with in-person teaching in full starting on January 11."Needless to say, teaching staff and unions have reacted angrily to this. This is partly because the lateness of the announcement leaves schools with lots of planning and organisation when most break up by tomorrow and some are already closed. What also rankles is that they now have to prepare online learning, despite the Government having resisted calls to allow more online learning and actually threatening schools with legal action if they wanted to close for the last week of this term.
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