The Infrastructure Minister appears to be wavering over the decision to reduce the time student discount bus travel cards are valid.

A significant change to the usage of GoSchool Cards for primary and secondary school pupils has been in place since the start of the week but minister Tim Crookall said his department was ‘still reviewing and working on this’.

The Bus Vannin cards, which offer discounted travel for students travelling to and from school, are now no longer valid after 5pm.

Bus Vannin says the move is down to a change in school schedules with earlier finishes.

Previously, the cards allowed subsidised travel until 6pm, accommodating students who participated in after-school activities.

SCH 1 card is for primary school students, SCH 2 card is for secondary school students, and the SCH 3 is for pupils at University College Isle of Man (UCM).

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall was quizzed at this week’s House of Keys by Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse about what factors contributed to the decision.

Mr Crookall confirmed that, since the start of this school term, 1,000 students had used the bus between 5pm-6pm. He argued most of the pupils had not used the service as a result of school activities after 5pm.

He said: ‘It was evident the school smart card was no longer relevant and needed reviewing.

‘The issue we have got at the moment is with regards to students who do after-school activities and we are still reviewing that and working with the schools and we are happy to take onboard any comments.’

He said that on the first day of the changes some students were allowed on the buses with their cards because they had been to after-school activities.

When asked by Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher where this was a way of making money from working families through their schoolchildren Mr Crookall replied: ‘This is definitely not a money-maker at all but going back to what is should have been in the first place. It is about getting the best out of the service.

‘The cards are meant to get the student from home to school and back to home again. We find that the majority of those students who get on after 5pm are not at school pick up points but might have gone into town after school and using it again after 5pm.’

Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood questioned whether 5pm was long enough for children to play a game of football or some other sport or attend after-school shows.

Mr Crookall said he ‘was happy to agree with her’.

He also went on to say that if too many students are using the service which is not related to school activities, then it could mean they buses are too full and deny other passengers the chance to use them.

Mr Crookall told members his department was ‘still reviewing and working on this’.

The policy change sparked a backlash from parents and students who say the decision overlooks the needs of young people involved in extracurricular activities, sports fixtures, and after-school study sessions.

One parent said: ‘Just leave it at 6pm so if there’s a club or sports fixture they would like to attend, they can do it, or better still, don’t have a time limit - as long as it’s one trip to school and one trip back per day, what difference does it make?’