PINK MEDICINE GIVES BUS TROUBLEMAKERS RED FACES

Press Release Date: 16/05/2003

The threat of arriving at school on a pink ‘punishment bus’ is acting as a deterrent to badly behaved Island youngsters.

Known as the Pink Peril, the bus is painted a gaudy pink which makes it stand out. The first of its kind in the country, the bus is the Isle of Wight Crime and Disorder Partnership’s answer to curbing the misbehaviour of a small minority of children using school buses.

Niki Haytack, Crime and Disorder Manager for the Isle of Wight, said the bus was funded by a partnership of the Safer Communities Initiative from the Government Office for the South East, the Isle of Wight Council and bus company Southern Vectis.

“Trials of the Pink Peril have been successful. When troublemakers have been given a taste of the pink medicine, they don’t want a second dose. They are known to be embarrassed and to hide their faces on the journey,” said Niki.

“Parents and teachers are fully supportive of the ‘punishment bus’ and parents say they have seen a change in the youngsters who previously misbehaved. Also, this is not about punishment, it is about managing the behaviour of a disruptive minority. It means that the majority of children who are well-behaved can travel to and from school in peace and safety.”

The Pink Peril, or bus no. 283, is the oldest vehicle in the Southern Vectis fleet. The heating has been deliberately taken out to provide cold comfort to transgressors.

Behaviour such as being threatening, abusive, violent or disruptive or other behaviour that could compromise safety on the regular buses will be enough for the offending youngster to be issued a ticket for a ride on the bus of shame. The ticket is also designed to deter the troublemakers — it’s fluorescent green.

As a policy, Southern Vectis will always try to ensure the Pink Peril arrives at school on time. But if there is any misbehaving on the return journey, drivers will deliberately add an extra five minutes to the trip for each incident. There is only one bus for the whole Island and it will make as many stops as necessary to pick up all the misbehaving children and get them to either school or home, the extra time this adds to journeys is a further discouragement to taking subsequent rides as it eats into the children’s time with friends or at home.
END

The Pink Peril is being officially launched at Cowes High School at 2.00pm on June 2.
Members of the press are welcome to attend, but are reminded that the launch is happening at Cowes High because it is very supportive of the scheme. No students from Cowes High have had to be transported on the Pink Peril. Pupils will be asked to sit on the bus for the benefit of photographers, but as they are not misbehaving pupils, photographers and editors are asked to obscure their faces.

For further information please contact Niki Haytack on (01983) 822696

A photo of the bus is available. Please contact Chris Lewis on (01983) 823693 or e-mail chris.lewis@iow.gov.uk

Additional Information