Council to increase school transport payments

Warrington Council has outlined plans to make a "huge saving" by encouraging more parents to drop their children off at school rather than use transport provided by the local authority.

The council has reported high demand due to a rise in the number of pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) coupled with "over-inflated charges" from operators.

It has approved changes to its public transport budget to cut the costs, including plans to increase payments to families who use their own vehicles to take eligible pupils to school to encourage more uptake.

Warrington councillor Jean Flaherty said this would save the council cash but also provide a "betters service for children."

The increased payments would fall under what is known as a personal transport budget, which is given to eligible parents or carers to help cover the cost of transport.

Councils are required to provide transport for certain pupils, including SEND pupils and those who live a certain distance away from their school.

A report to councillors said the authority had experienced a "year-on-year escalation of transport costs", alongside a 79% increase in contracts for children with SEND transport needs over the last five years.

Other changes approved by the council include altering the system it uses to measure the distance from pupils' homes to school.

The council also wants to invest in transport training for some of those over 16 it currently drops to school.

It pays for transport for 123 young people over 16, 105 of whom receive either taxi or minibus transport which costs more than £800,000 a year.

The highest individual cost is more than £37,000.

Flaherty said the changes to the personal transport budget were a "really good option".

She said: "It's better for children to be taken by a parent, family member or close friend than being put in a vehicle on their own or with other children, it can be quite daunting for children especially with special educational needs.

"It also demonstrates a huge saving for the council, so we're finding we're not only able to save money but provide a better service for those children which is our key consideration."

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