Parents are furious after a much-anticipated revised bus timetable has failed to help their children’s commute to school.

Residents of Bean, near Dartford, have long struggled to get their children to classes as only one school bus serves the area and others do not run to fit in with school hours.

Frustrated parents had hoped changes to a shuttle bus through the village would help, as the C1 bus from Longfield to Darent Valley Hospital included a stop-off at Bluewater shopping centre, from where they could get to other schools.

But when the revised times were announced they were disappointed to find the first bus started from Longfield at 8.40am, with the last bus returning from Bluewater at 3.43pm.

That meant the first bus runs after children should be in school and the return bus back to Bean from Bluewater leaves before they could get there from school.

Lisa Martin was flabbergasted to see the new timetable still did not cover school times.

“Zero consideration has been given to kids getting to school and home again,” she said. “It makes my blood boil.

“They have to, by law, be in school, but if you don’t drive how are you meant to get them there?

“We are meant to be encouraging people out of their cars and onto public transport unless you want to get to work that is. Zero thought has been given to that either.”

At the moment Lisa shares dropping off her daughter Scarlett, 15, at Northfleet School for Girls with a friend and her daughter.

“She takes them in the morning on her way to work and my son picks them up.

“But he is doing a Master’s in September so he won’t be able to pick them up and if they decide to go to different sixth form or colleges then getting her there will be impossible.”

Mum Claire Martin has two sons who need to get to Northfleet Technology College every day.

She said: “It’s absolutely useless. My kids cannot get to school or work using this very limited timetable.

“So guess what? We have to drive them, yet they are supposed to be encouraging fewer cars on the road.

“I work so can’t always take them. So I have to rely on others to be around to pick up and collect.

“The bus is an absolute waste of time in my opinion.”

She added: “Luckily, I take them, but there are times when it’s a struggle with work.

“I can’t collect them if they stay after school for studying/after-school clubs, they can’t get back from Bluewater.

“Even if they finish at the normal time they will miss the bus back to Bean from Bluewater.”

Claire’s eldest son is 16 and works at Bluewater. She says he can’t get there for his evening shifts any more.

“The bus finishes too early.”

‘Zero consideration has been given to kids getting to school and home again’

Mum Michelle Barker agrees.

“When we moved into the village in 2018 there was a bus service that connected us to Longfield and Bluewater.

“Over the next few years, the service was reduced and changed.

“We wouldn’t have moved here with our children if we’d known their ability to leave the village independently would be taken away from them.

“Over the last few years there have been a lot more younger families and couples moving into the area and this will, over the coming few years, impact them too.

“My elder daughter will be starting college in September and there is no way for her to get there independently.”

Dartford council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite (Con), who created the service with Kent County Council and Go Coach last year, said it was never meant to be a commuter bus.

He said: “While I am hugely sympathetic to commuter and school-aged children, this service was introduced to ensure some of our most isolated villagers can continue to shop, visit families and make appointments.

“The reason it works is because we use off-peak buses that would otherwise be sitting in a bus station to fill the gap.

“It was designed to ensure the elderly did not feel isolated and could go about their day.”

Cllr Kite added: “In the future, we are hopeful we can look at new routes.”

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesman said: “KCC does provide support for the C1 service but has not been made aware of the particular challenge for school children.

“We will liaise with the operator and see whether there are further adjustments that can be made to make this better for users at school times.”