WHIITBY FREIi PREISS, WE-DNISDAY. IULY 2.18.PC If ioin's se~rrîce> is cul back.... Bo ard will re-instate own s ervice By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff If the Town of Whitby reduces its bus service in the Corridor Area, it seems as though the Durham Board of Education shall re- instate transportation services for high school students in other areas. According to William Gilfillan, the board's transportation mana- ger, the policy is that if a student lives more than one mile from the school, bus service wil be provided. Asked whether or not the board would re- instate their service if the municipal service was cut back, Gilfillan replied, "Yes, I would think so, providing there is no service being provided by the munici- pality." Buchanan Further, the board it- self would not have to approve the re-instate- ment and could be done on the authority of Director of Education, Ken Munroe, and Gilfilan. If the Corridor Area Ratepayers Association is successful in its bid to have the school service revived, Glfillan said that additional costs would be accrued because of the need for more buses. The cost for the ser7 vice, estimated at an additional $125 a day, "would be levied again- st ail regional tax- payers, " he added. At last week's meeting of Whitby Town Council, the afore- mentioned ratepayers association requested that the services pro- vided by the munici- pality be reduced so that the Durham Board of Education could re- introduce its se,vcie. In a letter to Mayor Bob Attersley, Trustee Ian Brown said that he would support the return of high school bus transportation if the town s service was cut- back. "My position on t.his matter is this: if town council alters municipal bus service such that public transportation is not available to secon- dary school students in that area of town (for example, if service were discontinued east of Thîckson Road), I would support the board's provision of buses, which is con- sistent with our trans- portation policy," Brown said in his letter. Support for the rate- payers association's position was also received from Trustee John Buchanan. In a separate letter to Attersley, Buchanan said, "I would support the residents of the Corridor in their request to alter the present scheduled routes ser- vicing the Corridor Area of the Town of Whitby. "I would also support the re-instatement of the Durham Board of Education busing of this area s0 that secondary students could be trans- ported to and from An- derson Collegiate and Vocational Institute," he continued. Both Brown and Buchanan reside in the Corridor area and Buchanan was the foun- ding president of the association. Prior to seeking election to the board last November, Buchanan resigned as a vice-president of the group. In an interview last week, Buchanan said that he wholeheartedly supports the position of the Corridor Area Rate- payers Association. However, he said thât< if that group was suc- cessful in its bid to have the high school buses brought back, he would not consider re-intro- ducing it into other areas of town, for example Otter Creek, unless their ratepayers association made a similar request. "If the ratepayers made a request, then I'Id have to consider it," he said adding until such a request was made, he would not advocate reducing town run bus service in other areas. However, if the town pulled bus service from, for example, Otter Creek, then he would support a return to high school busing. "If they puiled from Otter Creek, then we'd have to bus Otter Creek,"l Buchanan said. He also points out that no complaints about the municipal service have been received from Ot- ter Creek, a position that has aiso been held by Mayor Bob Atter- siey. In fact, Attersley said that people he had spoken to from that area were happy with the service. "I've had no com- plaints from Otter Creek," Buchanan said. "I've neyer had a com- ment from Otter Creek to re-instate the high sehool service." The rookie trustee was also critical of the Whitby Transit Service calling it "premature. " "They baven't provided an adequate bus service," Buchanan said. "They aren't ser- vicing the kids. " He said that the main bone of contention in the issue is the bus that runs north and south along Garrard and Ken- dalwood Roada. Buchana-n also com- plained that many high schooi aged children had to catch a Whitby bus as early as 7:40 a.m. which got them to sehool -at approxiniately 8: 10 a.m. meaning they had to "hang around"l for an hour before school opened. He added that if these children waited to catch the next bus, they wouid be late for school arriving at approxi- mately 9:05 a.m. Mayor Bob Attersley countered Buchanan's suggestion that the town run service was inade- quate saying that it is "always under study." "dwe're striving to im- prove it daily," Atter- sley said adding that town staff are constan- tly receiving input from residents. These suggestions will be examined and included in a report that will be before council some- time in late September or early October. The mayor also said that the town can't act solely on the desires of the Corridor Are Rate- payers Association but must take the needs of the entire town into con- sideration. "ICouncil can't look at one area in isolation," he said. Attersley said that council has to treat al areas of town in the same manner so that everyone who is entitled to use th~e service has the rlght to do so. He was also critical of Buchanan's position as one of Whitby's two trustees on the Durham Board of Education. "He should also treat the town in the samne manner," Attersley said. LOOKITOONt\RIO FOR FRESIïNSS QULII Wýhen you shop, look for the Foodland Ontario syrn- bol. It's your guide to ail the good things that go right here in our own province. Not only is our produce the freshest you can buy, our pro- cessed products are recognized --~ - i 1~ N -~ internationally for their .excellent quality. Besides giving your family the best food in the world, .-- there s another reason for k îng Ontario. Our food indusrry employs a lot Sof people in this pro- ~<vince. 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