Fighting for Fair Transport: How Our Community is Winning Change - but much more needs to be done
By the Class Divide Transport Campaign Team
For two decades, secondary school aged children in Whitehawk haven’t been able to walk or cycle to school because:
All secondary schools are two or more miles away from our estate
Routes to get to the schools the majority of our children attend are littered with unsafe road crossings, poorly lit and narrow paths, plus we have a tunnel that is inaccessible in winter due to regular flooding.
In addition, getting to school by bus has been complicated by:
A lack of direct bus routes, poorly timed buses that left children with unreasonably early starts, lack of late running buses from Longhill so children couldn’t attend after school clubs, long waits for buses at some stops due to high levels of demand on the routes, particularly acute for children attending BACA.
A confusing free travel policy, and costly fares forcing families to make school choice based on what was affordable and not what was right for their child.
It’s no wonder that when we launched Class Divide publicly back in early 2020 one of the main things parents wanted was direct, safe and affordable travel for their children.
How We Fought Back
At the time, we thought the bus problem would be a relatively easy one to solve. We were wrong about that, but we are determined and over the past few years our campaigning has made a difference.
Together with parents and volunteers we:
Secured an after-school bus to Longhill, ensuring pupils could take part in sports and extra lessons and still get home safely.
Challenged the council’s figures on free travel costs, revealing how Brighton & Hove Bus Company profits while families struggle.
Forced recognition of unsafe walking routes, meaning families just under the 2-mile cut-off were granted free travel. This win alone meant that 50 more families every year received free travel.
Kept the pressure up for BACA students, pushing for solutions as children continued to face long waits and packed buses.
Took the issue national, working with MP Chris Ward, who raised the issue in Parliament and pushed for fairer national policies on home-to-school travel.
Where We Go Next
Despite these wins, challenges remain. Bus fares have risen and the cost of travel continues to hit families hard — parents pay £45 a month to get one child to school if they can afford a monthly pass and £60 per month if they cannot. Many of our members have two or more children so are looking at costs in excess of £90 or £120 per month to get their children to school.
We are being told that some children are not attending school because parents cannot afford the fare.
But it’s not just about cost. Early starts and indirect and congested routes are still a problem.
Our vision is simple and clear:
Every child in Brighton & Hove should have safe, affordable and direct travel to the school they attend.
This isn’t just about Whitehawk — it’s about our whole city. The cost of travel or poor bus options should never be a barrier to education, wherever a child lives.
Our home to school travel campaign is restarting. We are gathering views from parents and carers across Brighton & Hove, preparing to push for real change from council leaders, councillors and mayoral candidates.
Get Involved
We are looking for:
Volunteers to help us shape the next phase of our campaign.
Experts and supporters to help us understand the funding and politics of public transport.
People to join our upcoming home-to-school transport hackathon, where together we’ll design a bus system that truly works for the city’s children.