Hundreds of students across the state were left stranded on Monday when it was revealed the Department of Education’s Assisted Student Transport Program was not fully operational for the new school year.

The disruption foll-owed the issuing of new contracts for the service at the end of last year, and the government has spent much of the week working through alternative transport arrangements for affected students.

A department spokesman yesterday told the Western Advocate that six Carenne students had been affected by the dispute on Monday but the problems were soon resolved.

“There have been some changes to runs and contracts for the 65 students at Carenne School supp-orted by the Assisted Student Transport Program (ASTP),” the spokesman said.

“On Monday, the first day of school for the year, three students could not attend school and three needed alternative transport, but arrangements have been finalised for all six students.

“All of the 21 other students who are supported by ASTP to attend five other schools in Bathurst were not prevented from attending school because of the new arrangements.”

Supported transport comes in the form of both buses and taxis to get students with a disability to and from school and the department is now confident all problems have been resolved.