School bus services under threat
FEARS have been raised over travel for schoolchildren following a meeting to discuss possible cuts and charges in the council's development and transport department.
Primary and secondary school kids could be forced onto public service buses instead of school transport if plans are approved next year.
West Lothian Council is proposing to chop just over 2 million from this budget as part of its plans for 45m cuts over the next four years. The total amount of cuts could also rise to almost 60m.
Proposals by council officers to withdraw "non-statutory" school transport for children were discussed at a policy development and scrutiny panel (PDSP) meeting.
Despite having costed the savings and knowing how many pupils will be affected, the council said it doesn't know which services or areas will be affected.
Currently, the council provides primary pupils who live one-and-a-half miles from their catchment school with free transport to and from school. Secondary pupils who live two miles from their catchment school also receive free transport.
The distances could now be changed to the Scottish Government statutory of two miles for primary children and three miles for secondary kids to save 152,000.
The proposals affect 900 children and would mean school bus services could be scrapped and that more children would have to pay to attend school.
Instead of the council providing school buses, some children might have to travel on normal buses where they are available. Kids who qualify for free travel will be given passes for service buses.
Opposition Labour group leader John McGinty said: "There are two dimensions to the concerns we have over school transport.
"First is the proposal that the distance to qualify for school buses be changed. West Lothian has always been more generous than government legislation and there is good reason for that.
"Parts of West Lothian are quite rural and, according to the council papers, the proposals will affect 900 children – the equivalent of two primary schools.
"The proposal that we should use smaller buses is also of concern. The reality is a fair number of kids use and pay for the buses, which could mean that a large number of parents will be packing their kids off to school on a public service bus to school worrying about them."
The council is hoping to encourage children to walk or cycle to school or have parents drop them off, which could cause congestion on roads around schools.
Council funding for a number of subsidised public bus services are also facing the axe or being reduced, and money is planned to be raised through charges at council-owned car parks throughout the county.
Cllr McGinty added: "We are also questioning the risk to the subsidised bus fund. Services which are marginal or not viable provide real social and economic services to the communities they serve.
"If this is taken away it could have severe detrimental effects on families who are dependent on them."
Executive councillor for development and transport Martyn Day said these are "testing" times for the council.
He added: "A number of interesting ideas were put forward which we have asked council officers to report back on.
"What is clear is that we need to review the way we provide important services, including school transport. I'd encourage members of the public to attend future PDSPs and see what is being discussed."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bathgate
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
