Leipzig – Exactly 1944 meters are between Merle Pollak’s (10) parents’ house in Neuweißborn and the bus stop from which she starts to school in Trebsen in the morning. Bad luck for Merle: The district office would only set up a school transport service if the route was at least 56 meters longer …
Therefore, the girl with heart disease should walk the route, which partly runs along the B 107 without a shoulder, alone in the morning and afternoon when her mother cannot bring her to the bus or pick her up.
Two years ago, mother Yvonne Pollak (44, care worker) applied to the district administration for the first time to cover the costs of the transport service for her daughters Nele (who now goes to high school) and Merle to the Trebsen elementary school four kilometers away.
Merle can go to school alone on the highway, if the district office wants. The agency judges this is not overly dangerousPhoto: Alexander Schumann
“The application was rejected. I then took a lawyer and tried again. Again without success, ”she says.
Explanation of the district office: Since the distance is below the mentioned minimum distance of two kilometers, a takeover would only be considered in an excessive danger situation. However, this was not the case, after all, the girl could “switch to the edge of the green area at any time”.
The fact that Merle is now wearing a pacemaker and that her sister had a bad traffic accident at the bus stop, which is difficult to see, in 2019 and had to be flown to the hospital does not seem to change this assessment.
Instead, there were a few clever tips from the office for the parents: “Passive protection through light-colored clothing and reflectors should also be taken into account when your child is out in the twilight and in the dark,” the letter says.
Yvonne Pollak has now filed a lawsuit. Her case will be heard by the administrative court in November, along with three other similar ones.