Council confirms transport cutbacks

The council has revised its policy on the provision of home to school and college transport with changes coming into effect next month. It is has a duty to provide transport to some children with special educational needs. However for many years it has also provided transport assistance to young people on a discretionary basis.

Now it is blaming Government funding cuts for cutting back this discretionary support.

It is removing the “straight line rule” – meaning if there is another nearer school along a child’s safest walking route to school then they will no longer receive discretionary transport assistance and will have to pay a fare to travel by bus.

Parents who move house during their child’s last year of school but decide to keep their child at the same school, will no longer receive discretionary assistance if there is another school nearer to their new home.