Reassessment of the school board system

The Koululiitu system introduced by Tuusula to assess the safety of school routes has been found to have incorrectly classified school routes that were previously classified as dangerous as safe. School transport decisions have been negative in many parts of Tuusula in areas where there is a lot of heavy traffic and no comprehensive network of light traffic lanes.

The fundamental problem with the transition to Koululiitu is that the Education and Culture Committee has defined (https://tuusula.cloudnc.fi/fi-FI/Toimielimet/Kasvatus_ja_sivistyslautakunta/Kokous_1662020/Koulukuljetusperiaatteiden_muutokset_ja_(23987)(switch to another service)) that “the Koululiitu method shall be used as the assessment criterion when assessing the danger of the school journey.”

However, Teemu Kinnunen, project manager at Ramboll Finland Oy, which developed Koululiitu, has stated in the media that the correct way to use Koululiitu is to use it only as a tool alongside other assessment methods. It seems obvious that these municipal guidelines cannot rely solely on Koululiitu, but that the danger or safety of the road network must be assessed comprehensively.

The municipality’s policy has been that parents can appeal against decisions to refuse or cancel school transport to the municipality, and cases are examined on a case-by-case basis. However, it is not sustainable to introduce a new road assessment based solely on the School Transport Association and to change classifications possibly only through parental appeal processes. In addition to the responsibility, concern and effort transferred to parents, this approach also fails to take into account families who move to the side of a road that has been incorrectly classified as unsafe and, unexpectedly, do not receive school transport for their children because the incorrect road safety classification has been left in force.

I propose that all roads designated as dangerous in the Koululiitu decision be inspected on behalf of the municipality (in cooperation with the police, ELY and other responsible parties) and that residents be involved in the assessment by asking them about road conditions and seasonal hazards. I also propose that the Education and Culture Committee and other interested elected officials conduct safety walks in the areas, as suggested by parents in the Rusutjärvi School Parents’ Club initiative, among others. I propose that the municipal executive committee be authorised to implement the measures proposed in the Koululiitu decision.

This cannot be left solely to parents.

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