Runnymede councillors clashed on Facebook when the council announced new plans for school buses.
The initiative will see seven buses leased in-house at £300,000 a year compared to the old yellow bus system which was costing up to £600,000.
The scheme claims to be more environmentally friendly, allowing for 250,000 less car journeys a year in the Runnymede area and using buses with more environmentally friendly engines.
The buses will be used for the Community Transport service between school runs.
Councillor Stewart Mackay criticised the initiative in the comments and said his independent party Runnymede Residents and Community Group put forward an alternative proposal which was ignored.
Conservative Council Leader Nick Prescott said the proposal was discussed and deemed economically unworkable, costing between £5.60-£7 a day compared to the council’s initiative which will cost £3.50-£4.
Councillor Prescott said: “The RRCG will say and do anything.
“I think their divisive style doesn’t sit well with the residents of Runnymede.”
Councillor Mackay was absent from the Full Council on Monday when the initiative was voted in by 25 to 15 votes.
He noted on Facebook that a majority of the 15 opposing votes came from Councillor Prescott’s own party.
He said: “How humiliating that must have been.”
In a separate post he claimed the Council Leader is leaving in March, which Councillor Prescott denied.
Another Facebook post was made by Labour Councillor Arran Neathey who expressed concern about the decision being reversed under potential new leadership.
He said: “The leader of the council has clearly lost control of his group and, given the scale of this rebellion, it is likely that he is now a lame duck.”
Councillor Prescott said there has been no call for a leadership election.
Councillor Mackay and Councillor Neathey were approached for comment but were unavailable.
The initiative will not be launched until April 2021, which has caused concern amongst some parents.
Councillor Prescott said it should have been sorted by March earlier this year but COVID curtailed the normal decision-making process.
Surrey County Council will put more buses on the normal routes used by school children until the end of December as a temporary solution.
Feature image credit: Suzy Hazlewood
