News 12 First at Five; October 3, 2008

AIKEN CTY, S.C. --- News 12 get's some changes in the works after several parents call the newsroom saying they're not happy the county is changing their child's school bus stop. The county says, they have a good reason to do it.

The district says they are in the midst of an audit, or a review, of all the school bus routes and the stops along it. They say it's being done so they don't violate a state law by having the stops too close together, or not in the right spots.

Some parents though, aren't buying it. Carolyn Kub's home is where her kids get on and off the school bus for 8 years now. Then, a letter coming home with her child last week telling her the bus stop is on the move, around the corner.

"In the morning, the train is usually coming through and the tracks are right there," says Carolyn.

The corner is just steps away from a set of tracks with no crossing arms. Before, at Carolyn's house, there are tracks but she could use a fence in her yard, along with a buffer zone of a hill between the road and the tracks, all to protect her kids.

"It's been working this long, why change it," asks Carolyn.

Here's why: the county-wide bus route review of the stops and routes.

"She comes this way anyways so I don't see why it's bothering anyone," says Carolyn.

If you go to the area in Bath, you can see there are lights lining the road where the bus stop is right now. But, around the corner where the new bus stop is going to be, there are no street lights.

Another parent called News 12 on Wednesday saying there's no lights on Old Barnwell Road where they moved her child's bus stop. Also, the stop is near a fatal wreck from earlier this week. News 12 called the transportation office in Aiken County on Thursday and now, the parent says the district is looking into getting a light at the stop. The parent also tells News 12, the district is looking at getting a centrally-located bus stop for everyone in the area. The district says the parent could use the other bus stop if they didn't feel safe at the new assigned stop.

"I rather for them to be at my house where it's a little bit safer than out here," says Carolyn. She got this letter explaining the change. The School Transportation Office telling her that bus stops have to be 2 tenths of a mile apart and/or you must live 3 tenths of a mile off the main road for the bus to come down the road.

Her neighbor, Ruth Stephens, thinks that's not worth the change.

"It's safety for our children and they should come first," says Ruth.

On Friday, the Transportation Department did not return several calls. We're told they were on the road auditing. But, on Thursday, the department did tell News 12 they know some people are upset about the changes, but say this is something they have to do to comply with the state law.