Paying more for a ‘worse’ bus service
CHANGES WILL HIT HAMPSHIRE PUPILS AGED 16 OR OVER WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL NEEDS
TRANSPORT provided by the county council for college students with additional needs will be made more expensive – and will not cater to their individual timetables.
Hampshire County Council’s post-16 transport service aims to ensure young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities are still able to get to their college or sixth form every day.
But now, the annual fee paid by parents will be increased by 2.7% – which the county council says is in line with inflation.
This means parents will pay £616.20 per year to take their child fewer than five miles to college – but if they need to travel more than 10 miles, it will cost them £1,365.91 a year. Transport will also not be arranged around individual student timetables, instead making one journey to and from school or college each day.
Martin Goff, head of transport and admissions for the county council, said: “This service is part of the home to school transport service and supports young people in their journeys to schools, sixth forms and colleges around Hampshire.
“We proposed very few changes – one was in favour of students in reducing walks to a possible pick-up point, and another is the inflationary rise to the charge.”
Currently, the county council spends £1.3million annually on
Local Democracy Reporter
post-16 transport, as part of its £34m home to school transport service.
consultation was carried out at the beginning of this year, inviting parents, students and educators to give feedback on the proposals. There were six responses to the consultation – which all pleaded for increased public bus services at the start and end of the school day.
Four of these were submitted on behalf of Alton College pupils, the remaining two for Havant and South Downs College.
In its report, the county council explained the service bears no relevance to public transport services, as
Athose are operated by commercial bus companies. On her decision day, executive lead member for children’s services, Cllr Roz Chadd, said: “I don’t have any further questions about this.
“I am happy to approve the post-16 transport statement and I thank Martin Goff for all his work on this one.”
But while some families will be forking out for the price rise, some still are not receiving a service at all. Charlie Stapleford, from Portsmouth, has cerebral palsy and was unenrolled from St Vincent College in Gosport because transport could not be arranged for the 19-year-old. His mum, Jackie, says councils cannot justify price increases if they cannot provide a service in the first place.
She said: “They should know that these children are coming up through the education system, so to even be in this position in the first place is ridiculous.
“But by charging more but not offering specific journeys for students, the council is making parents pay more for a worse service.
“With everything else getting more expensive, it might be too much for some parents.”