By Stuart Gillespie

Copyright dailyrecord

Parents want the council to buy new buses for a school for children with additional support needs. Langlands School in Dumfries currently has two buses, which are more than a decade old and are run by the parent council, Friends of Langlands. However, the group say the majority of their fundraising goes towards keeping the buses on the road and wants the local authority to both provide and take responsibility for new vehicles. The chairperson of Friends of Langlands said: “The two buses were donated by the Variety Club. One is 13 years old and one that fits a wheelchair is 15 years old. “They are specialised and the parent council is effectively raising funds to run these buses, which is about £5,000 a year to keep them on the road, which is quite ridiculous. “They sit in the school car park for most of the year, the mileage is low and the battery is always flat. “The primary school for severe and complex children is the Queensberry Learning Centre at Georgetown Primary. They have two or three minibuses owned by the local authority and are wheelchair accessible. “They employ a driver and an escort to take multiple children to and from school, the buses are left at the school and if the staff can drive them they can take children to things in the community. It is a massive part of their education. “We have approached the council to say we really need new buses and they need to take charge of them. “The council has procured buses but from what I can gather they haven’t procured any that are wheelchair accessible.” On occasions, the wheelchair accessible bus has broken down, resulting in children having to be taken to and from outings by parents – many of whom have had to take time of work and are making the journeys at their own expense. The chairperson added: “If the council used some common sense and bought a bus, they could get a driver and an escort and pick the children up in the morning, drop them off then leave the bus at school and it could be used by staff while in school to take them on trips. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. “The council would be directly employing the escort and would be responsible for their disclosure checks.” A council spokesman said: “Both Langlands School and Queensberry Learning Centre currently have access to transport suited to their needs. “The council has worked closely with both schools over time to support transport arrangements and remains committed to assisting wherever possible. “We will continue to engage with each school to explore future opportunities and ensure transport meets evolving needs.”