Pupils face two-hour school commute under new rules

Plans to change requirements for secondary school transport is putting the most vulnerable children in danger, says a campaign group.

From September 2025, students in Rhondda Cynon Taf who live more than three miles (4.8km) away will get support as opposed to the current two to three mile policy.

Save the School Transport RCT said it could mean a two-hour commute for some children, exhausting them and having an impact on their learning.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it has had to make "difficult decisions", while the Welsh government said it provides funding for school transport for local authorities who can prioritise their spend according to local need.

Sam, 34, a single mother with two children, is one of the parents who will be impacted by these changes.

Her 12-year-old son Owen has epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

She said it would take Owen two hours to walk from their home to Mountain Ash comprehensive school.

"He'd have to leave for school at half six in the morning, Owen thinks it will take him two hours to get to school," she said.

"I live on a mountain, It's not safe to walk to the school,  I wish the person who is planning this would come and do Owen's walk to school.

“There's no crossings, it's dark, the pavements are narrow or at times they aren’t any, and there's no public transport from where we are.

“It's concerning."

The new rules come as councils face budget shortfalls of at least £540m across Wales.

Save the School Transport RCT said families in the more deprived areas will be hardest hit.

Tina Collins from the group said members are planning to protest outside the council offices in Pontypridd on Saturday and branded the cuts as "dangerous".

“There’s no thought about the extra traffic on the roads or the poverty of the families who can’t afford the transport," said Ms Collins.

"It's £45 a month for one child to use public transport to school.

“The weather in Wales is wet too, if a child was walking in the weather we had on Wednesday, they’d be in school in wet clothes all day.

“There’s nowhere for them to change, some of them are carrying instruments or kits bags, they can’t be expected to carry wet weather gear as well.”

Ms Collins added children could be walking up to three miles before the start of the school day.

“Parents are working, they can’t be expected to drop off and pickup their children every day," she said.

“There’s a lot of issues and I understand the council must make savings but there’s a lot of concern from parents who fear they won’t be able to get their children to school and it’ll hit the poorest, the hardest."

Laura is also involved in the campaign and said this will affect 2,700 children in the county.

Her teenage sons, Ioan and Ieuan, will have to walk 2.8 miles (4.5km) to school and she said she worries it will impact their learning.

"Some of the pavements are not safe and they are narrow," she said.

"It took me and my son one hour and 10 minutes to walk to school and it's not safe, one car nearly hit my elbow.

“My son was very tired by the time we got to the school gate.

“He won’t be able to concentrate In school all day after that.”

The Labour council’s cabinet agreed the proposals in March.

While Rhondda Cynon Taf is the focus of the protest on Saturday, other councils are looking at similar ways to cut back.

In September, Monmouthshire council agreed to up the free bus pass threshold from 1.5 miles to two to three miles.

Also in September, Caerphilly council opened up a public consultation to change school transport rules, which could see some students with a six mile walk.

The Vale of Glamorgan council has also looked at this issue. It was discussed in a scrutiny meeting on 19 September.

It comes as councils in Wales face "unsustainable" budget pressures over the next few years, with BBC having identified a budget shortfall of at least £540m across Wales by 2026-27.

A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf council said: “During the consultation period, residents had the opportunity to make their voices heard.

“An overwhelming majority of councils in Wales provide home to school transport in line with Welsh government’s Learner Travel Measure only. R

"Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will still provide transport to more pupils than required.

“We acknowledge that this decision will not be popular with those affected, however, councils across the UK are facing significant budget challenges.

"Like most things, the cost of home to school transport has ballooned in recent years, with costs increasing from £8 million in 2015 to more than £15 million in 2023-24.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We are aware that some authorities, including Rhondda Cynon Taf county council, have recently taken decisions to alter school transport arrangements they have provided on a discretionary basis and we recognise the difficult decisions local authorities have to make when it comes to allocating resources."