School ‘Specials’ Bus Services To Be Stopped

Proposals to scrap special subsidised school bus services were voted through yesterday at the Council’s Executive Board meeting, providing Wrexham Council with a £100,000 saving.

The ‘School Specials’ are discretionary fare-paying bus services that are subsidised by the council. They cover areas where private bus firms do not operate a service. In February related grants were reduced, prompting the quick move to remove the service.

Cllr Bob Dutton presented the report saying: “The good years have gone, we are looking at making savings across the authority. Members have expressed concerns, however at the end of the day we need to make serious decisions in respect to the proposals.

“There will be interested specialist groups, but like everyone across the borough they have to face the problems as well.”

Cllr Carole O’Toole called for seperate votes on all three parts of the recommendations, saying she was not opposed to cuts but ‘deeply concerned about how they are implementing the cuts’.

Cllr O’Toole said she believed the proposals had a lack of consultation, no planning for unintended consequences and no alternatives offered. O’Toole offered her own amendment to the proposals asking for a full consultation with stakeholders, with a risk assessment and analysis of alternative provisions.

Cllr Brian Cameron expressed concern that no discussion had taken place with head teachers, adding “if we are having cuts lets make sure we do it properly.”

Cllr David Kelly said that questions had been asked of the education and transport officers to discover how many pupils on the buses were also receiving free school meals.

He added: “We were told this info does not exist. The Council does not know, and we were told they would have to ask headteachers to compile the data. How do you engage if you do not know who the stakeholders are?”

Cllr Arfon Jones echoed these thoughts, saying he was “surprised we don’t know who the stakeholders are, it’s obvious it’s the parents and children.

“I know for a fact they have a mound of information on free school meals. It is just a question of asking a headteacher ‘how many on the bus have them’. I don’t think the officers have done the work.”

One of the concerns raised surrounded the possibility of schools such as St. Joesph’s and St. Mary’s suffering a lower intake of pupils due to reduced bus services. However Cllr Dutton pointed out that we are currently the only authority in Wales that provides these services.

Cllr Andrew Bailey pointed out the Council have aims to reduce carbon and have joined up communities, therefore the more on school transport the better.

Cllr Lowe said: “We looked at the Council Plan earlier, one of three main areas on it is ‘people’. If we take this decision today we will affect young people, we need to give people the best chance possible in life.

“I know no consultation has been made with the headteachers as I have checked. Some do not have a choice of public transport. It is a backward step, it affects children, their parents and their futures.”

Cllr Hugh Jones said: “The reality is that one policy applies equally across the borough, it’s the learner traveller policy that is funded and is fair and even.

“What we have here in the school specials is an anachronism that has grown through the years. Yes people will be affected but there is a safety net. I don’t see any point in going to consultation on a policy that is flawed, that does not meet our own equality criteria. It would give false hope, we need to be honest and fair.”

A vote took place on the proposed amendment (suggesting the issue was put to consultation) but it was defeated with 3 votes supporting with 6 votes against.

A vote then took place on the initial resolutions, which received the same votes but in reverse, with 6 in favour and 3 against.