A bid to get the controversial decision to axe the bus service for Cumbrae pupils from Largs slip to the new campus overturned has been set in motion.
Cumbrae Community Council, West Kilbride Councillor Todd Ferguson, who was one of three Conservative councillors to call-in the matter to NAC’s Scrutiny Committee, and independent councillor Ian Murdoch all voiced strong opposition to the removal of the service.
Cllr. Murdoch himself had carried out the walk from the helipad at West Bay to the Millport pier bus stop, getting the bus to Cumbrae ferry slip at 8.10am, getting on board the ferry, before embarking on the walk to the campus, and managed to get there at 8.57am, and described the journey as ‘torturous’.
Cumbrae Community Council secretary Angela McCallum said: “Parents do no understand how there was a public consultation where an agreement was made that there would be transport for the pupils to and from the new campus.
“The children will be very tired, and their concentration is not going to be good. These children are going to have a late on their school records virtually every day.” 
Cumbrae Community Council chairman Phil Lonsdale said in some cases it meant a total travel time of 100 minutes for island pupils per day, and children could be left soaking wet after walking up to the school, and asked what drying facilities were available at the school.
Cllr Todd Ferguson, who lives on Cumbrae, said: “The law states that any pupil whose normal residence is more than 3 miles from their is entitled to free transportation. Some of the pupils on Cumbrae live more than 7 miles from the new school. North Ayrshire Council also has a legal obligation to safely transport these pupils.”
Chair of Education, Cllr. John Bell, said: “I personally accept the Cumbrae situation is different, and there are logistical difficulties in getting the children to school, and we would be willing to take this back to Cabinet.”
The committee agreed with Cllr. Alan Hill’s suggestion that the Cabinet look to reinstate the bus between the slip and new campus. 
Labour councillor Alex Gallagher has suggested that the situation with the Cumbrae school bus could be resolved by treating the pupils transport as a single journey, instead of breaking the journey at the ferry slip: “This will be in line with the Council’s policy whilst allowing us to keep the promise made to Cumbrae.”