Issue - meetings
School Transport – Concessionary Fares
Meeting: 27/11/2018 - Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Expired 13/07/20 (Item 32)
32 School Transport – Concessionary Fares PDF 83 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
(a) That the information on revenue projections from the various options for concessionary fare prices be noted; and
(b) That Option 2 - £450 per year (£150 per term) as the preferred rate for concessionary seats in 2019/20 be recommended for approval to Cabinet.
Minutes:
The ITU Manager – Streetscene and Transportation introduced a report to seek a recommendation for the rate to be charged for school transport concessionary seats. She provided background information and explained that the Committee had previously recommended the adoption of Option 2 (i.e. £100.00 per term) as its preferred pricing structure for a concessionary bus pass for the current school year (2018/19) with a review to be carried out on the impact of the increased cost in order that the level could be set for future years. She advised that the rate was less than 50% of the full cost of providing concessionary seats and this created financial pressures for the Authority.
She reported on the main considerations, as detailed in the report, and said the options for future concessionary seat charges were appended to the report. Whilst the long term aim would be full cost recovery for the service, it was considered unfair to raise the charges to this level in such a short period of time and therefore options 1 and 3 were not currently recommended. Option 2 (£450 per year - £150 per term) was recommended for 2019/20 as it provided a balanced position against full cost recovery and the affordability of the scheme for parents (particularly for parents with more than one child travelling to school).
In response to a query from Councillor Owen Thomas, the ITU Manager – Streetscene and Transportation explained that the Authority did not have a legal responsibility for pupils who used school buses as it was parental choice to use that method of transport. In response to the comments made by Councillor Thomas regarding the cost of subsidising unused places on school buses the Chief Officer advised that a review of the school transport provision had been undertaken to make sure it was fit for purpose.
In response to the comments made by the Chair regarding school appeals, Councillor Carolyn Tomas referred to the school transport policy and advised that from September 2019 children were only provided with free transport to their nearest school.
Councillor Chris Dolphin proposed that Option 2 - £450 per year (£150 per term) be approved as the preferred rate for concessionary seats in 2019/20 and when put to the vote this was carried.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the information on revenue projections from the various options for concessionary fare prices be noted; and
(b) That Option 2 - £450 per year (£150 per term) as the preferred rate for concessionary seats in 2019/20 be recommended for approval to Cabinet.