Bradford Council looks to cut school transport costs

Date: 10/4/2013

Bradford Council is said to be considering ways to overhaul its school transport service as it looks to save as much as £1.5 million per year, the Telegraph and Argus reports.

The Council currently provides free taxis and minibuses to a number of pupils - an initiative which accounted for £7.5 million of the £11 million spent on school transport in 2011/12 - and is hoping to encourage more parents to drive their children to school themselves.

Explaining the motivation behind the move, Councillor Ralph Berry said: "The school population is rising at the same time as local authority budgets are being reduced, so the new policy needs to reflect this."

As part of the plans, the local authority is said to be looking at the possibility of increasing the current 40 pence per mile that it pays to parents who choose to drive their youngsters to school rather than opt for free transport.

Posted by Sarah Bailey 

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