Parents in an Aberdeenshire community fear their children may have to hike for almost an hour in all weathers to get to their new school when it opens in August.
Families living in the Esslemont area of Ellon said they were concerned for the safety of their youngsters – who could face a walk right across town to the £36million academy currently nearing construction at Cromleybank.
Their neighbourhood is just beyond the two-mile boundary after which Aberdeenshire Council is obliged to provide transport for pupils.
Last night, Ellon councillor Gillian Owen said talks were being held between the local authority and Stagecoach in the hope of resolving the issue and she hoped there would be some good news for parents.
Esslemont Circle residents John and Donna Carle said the current arrangement was “an accident waiting to happen”.
The couple’s 12-year-old son Jay is due to make the transition from Auchterellon Primary to Ellon Academy in August.
A new path is being built, which takes in a footbridge across the River Ythan, but Mr Carle, 43, said children were more likely to follow the busy South Road to the school.
He added: “There are so many HGVs on the roads and Ellon is growing all the time, so the volume of traffic is building.
“It is two miles from these steps to the entrance to the school. For young kids on bikes, that is a safety hazard. It is just an accident waiting to happen.”
Mrs Carle, also 43, added: “It is a disgrace. There are a lot of kids here and a big community around this side of Ellon.
“Drivers put the foot down on that road.”
Neighbours Stanley and Christine Clark have similar fears for their daughter Emma, 12, who is also due to start at the school in August.
Engineer Mr Clark, 62, said: “According to the council it is a mile and a half, but it is a lot longer than that. I think there should be a bus service.”
Aberdeenshire Council’s head of transportation, Ewan Wallace, said parent’s concerns were being “considered”.
He added: “We are in discussion around different options with operators in the Ellon area on what could be put in place on a commercial basis.”
