Kembla Grange parents have labelled the removal of an "unsafe" bus stop on West Dapto Road as "ridiculous" given their children will now have to walk more than two kilometres to the next one.
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Lynden View Estate residents were given one business day's notice from bus company Premier Illawarra that bus drivers would no longer be picking up or dropping off primary and secondary school children at the bus stops West Dapto Road.
They were told Wollongong City Council had deemed the stops "unsafe" and needed to be removed immediately.
The nearest safe location for students to catch the bus is at Wongawilli Road, near Jersey Farm Road, which is more than two kilometres away.
If children were to walk, it would take more than half an hour and they would be forced at times to walk directly on the road.
Concerned resident Tammy Potts has questioned how the council could consider this a safer option.
"Our kids have a right to get public transport to school and now that has been taken away," she said. "I work 40 hours a week and I have two other kids at school and one at preschool. I can't be in three places at once.
"Now I have to rely on my partner or parents to pick up my daughter up from the bus stop or school because otherwise she will be stranded.
"The best option is for the council to put back in the bus stop until it finds a better solution."
Raechel McPhan said the council's plan to take away the stop was "beyond ridiculous" and did not believe it was safer for her children to walk along the road.
She said drivers regularly did more than the speed limit and their was often a lot of traffic.
Ms McPhan said she was organising car pool arrangements to get her children to school or the bus stop.
A Wollongong Council spokesman said some residents complained to the council that the new school bus stop on the western side of West Dapto Road was unsafe as children were required to cross a 80 km/h road.
"Although school bus services and the bus stop locations are normally the responsibility of the bus operator and Transport NSW, on this occasion the council agreed that the bus stop location was not suitable and asked the bus operator to remove it," he said.
"Parents are expected to make safe choices in relation to the children’s trip to and from school.
"Walking along a rural road with no formal footpath and an 80 km/hour speed limit is also not considered to be safe."
The council spokesman said the council was arranging for the eastern bus stop to remain, however, could not confirm whether the bus company would permit children to be picked up in the morning.
Resident Skye Kinloch said many parents knew it was not safe for their children to cross West Dapto Road, but does not believe the council's option is the solution.
Ms Potts and other residents want the bus stops to be moved inside the estate but has been told by Premier Illawarra that buses could not fit.
She disputes this and said a bus had come into the estate last week.
The council spokesman said the council was considering short and long term solutions to provide a bus stop location within the estate, in consultation with Transport for NSW and bus operators.
"A short term solution will be implemented as quickly as possible but will depend on investigations," he said.
"The location of the bus stop will depend on the solution adopted and may be changed as a long term solution is developed."
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said she shared the concerns of parents and had raised her concerns about the removal of the bus stop with the relevant ministers. She said she would talk to the council and parents to offer her support and assistance.
Premier Illawarra declined the Mercury's request to comment.
