Agne Skirzgile and her family are one of the newly moved families in Ankarsund.
But their joy over the new home has been clouded by the municipality’s decision not to organize a school bus.
– As a mother, I feel scared. I think the road is dangerous. Especially in winter, says Skirzgile.
For small inland villages, reversing a downward population trend is often a major challenge. In Ankarsund, a small village located five kilometers from the central town of Storuman, two families with children have recently moved in.
Despite this positive development, the municipality does not want to be responsible for the school transport for the children, which has created anxiety and frustration in the village.
The municipality believes that the children should walk almost three kilometers twice a day along a narrow gravel road, which connects the home with the nearest collection point. This gravel road has a speed limit of 70 kilometers per hour, is curvy and mostly lacks lighting.
– The children have to walk for almost two hours every day just to get a ride to and from school, says Agne Skirzgile, who together with her family have recently moved to Ankarsund.
Appealed decision
According to the municipality’s regulations, students from year four are expected to be able to walk this distance. The decision to deny the children in Ankarsund school transport has been appealed to the administrative court, but it is still unclear when a decision from the court can be expected.
– It is a cost issue. It would be great if we could pick up all the children at the stairs, but you have to look at how many villages we have in the municipality and then you would end up in the same situation in more places, says municipal councilor Ulrik Dahlgren (S).
“The politicians will be ashamed”
Once upon a time, 77 students attended the village school, but times have changed. Ankarsund’s interest association, which works to keep the village alive, has therefore decided to finance the transport for the children themselves to the collection point at E12, which in turn is 1.5 kilometers from the school in Slussfors.
– I think the politicians will be ashamed and state that we cannot have it this way. says Bo-Anders Johansson, chairman of Ankarsund’s Interest Association.