AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
A council has launched a probe after Matthew Lokier, 11, was left standing outside his school.
Anwen Lokier with her son Matthew Lokier (Image: UGC TNW)
The mother of an autistic boy claims a new school transport rule barred him from stepping into the taxi that usually brings him home - leaving him standing on the pavement.
Anwen Lokier has complained to Conwy Council after 11-year-old son Matthew was left out in the cold.
Matthew, a pupil at Ysgol y Gogarth in Llandudno, normally gets a taxi to and from the school.
Earlier this week Mrs Lokier received a call from the school at home time asking who was picking her son up.
She said: “My partner and I had dropped off Matthew ourselves in the morning because he wasn’t feeling that well, and admittedly I had forgotten to inform his taxi driver that he would need a lift in the afternoon to bring him home.
“After receiving the call from the school I immediately phoned the taxi driver who was already at the school to bring him home.
“But he told me he couldn’t as there was a new ruling in place, which means if parents drop off their children in the morning then they have to pick them up after school.”
Mrs Lokier phoned Ysgol y Gogarth, to inform them about the situation that Matthew was standing on the pavement next to his taxi but he was not allowed to get in.
She said: “I’m very lucky that the deputy head who also hadn’t heard of the new rule set by Conwy stepped in and looked after Matthew for me.
“He saved the day as no 11-year-old should be left on the pavement let alone a severely autistic child, he could have had a complete meltdown.
“I don’t blame the taxi driver at all.
“Apparently there was a Conwy school transport officer there at the time who was checking everybody’s paperwork and licences who wouldn’t allow Matthew to get home to his mum.”
A Conwy County spokeswoman said: “The School Transport section will look into this complaint.”
Source: Investigation into why 'new rules' meant autistic boy was stopped from getting school taxi home
A council has launched a probe after Matthew Lokier, 11, was left standing outside his school.
Anwen Lokier with her son Matthew Lokier (Image: UGC TNW)
The mother of an autistic boy claims a new school transport rule barred him from stepping into the taxi that usually brings him home - leaving him standing on the pavement.
Anwen Lokier has complained to Conwy Council after 11-year-old son Matthew was left out in the cold.
Matthew, a pupil at Ysgol y Gogarth in Llandudno, normally gets a taxi to and from the school.
Earlier this week Mrs Lokier received a call from the school at home time asking who was picking her son up.
She said: “My partner and I had dropped off Matthew ourselves in the morning because he wasn’t feeling that well, and admittedly I had forgotten to inform his taxi driver that he would need a lift in the afternoon to bring him home.
“After receiving the call from the school I immediately phoned the taxi driver who was already at the school to bring him home.
“But he told me he couldn’t as there was a new ruling in place, which means if parents drop off their children in the morning then they have to pick them up after school.”
Mrs Lokier phoned Ysgol y Gogarth, to inform them about the situation that Matthew was standing on the pavement next to his taxi but he was not allowed to get in.
She said: “I’m very lucky that the deputy head who also hadn’t heard of the new rule set by Conwy stepped in and looked after Matthew for me.
“He saved the day as no 11-year-old should be left on the pavement let alone a severely autistic child, he could have had a complete meltdown.
“I don’t blame the taxi driver at all.
“Apparently there was a Conwy school transport officer there at the time who was checking everybody’s paperwork and licences who wouldn’t allow Matthew to get home to his mum.”
A Conwy County spokeswoman said: “The School Transport section will look into this complaint.”
Source: Investigation into why 'new rules' meant autistic boy was stopped from getting school taxi home
