Free school buses for Northumberland cost ÃÂ£0.5m

Posted by The Journal on Oct 29, 08 12:38 PM in School news

FREE bus transport for older students is set to leave Northumberland County Council with a ÃÂ£500,000 bill. But councillors last night hailed the scheme to provide passes for A-level and college students as a massive success - and said it was likely to cost much less than feared.

The free pass has seen the number of teenagers using buses more than double, from 800 in July to 1,850 now. The county council took the decision to scrap fares after they rose to ÃÂ£360 a year under the previous Labour administration.

The new Liberal Democrat administration at County Hall fulfilled a manifesto pledge by restoring free post-16 transport, following widespread claims that the charges were an unfair tax on the families of rural students.

Lib Dems went ahead with the move despite fears voiced by opposition councillors about how the lost revenue would be clawed back when the new unitary Northumberland Council has to
make budget savings of ÃÂ£28m next year.

A report to the county council's scrutiny committee yesterday said 2,200 students applied for free bus passes for the new term - of whom 1,850 were eligible.

The extra costs involved have been contained by using existing buses or by issuing passes for public transport, although some extra capacity has had to be provided.

The report said the council's transport unit was currently assessing the full cost.

Last night Lib Dem councillor Simon Reed, executive member for children's services, said: "It was a key policy area for us to help these young people and their families to access post-16 transport and sixth-form and college education and the decision has more than doubled the numbers using school buses.

"We have been told by officers that, far from being the financial disaster which opposition councillors suggested, the extra costs involved are well within the budget provision.

"It was claimed this could cost the authority up to ÃÂ£800,000 extra for a full year but, while the detailed figures are still to be produced, we are advised the actual cost will only be about ÃÂ£400,000 to ÃÂ£500,000."

Scrutiny committee chairman Coun Ian Swithenbank said: "It has become clear that there was no extra cost involved to accommodate many of these 1,850 students because there was so much spare capacity on the buses."

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