A West Lothian councillor has renewed calls for savings on the £7 million cost of transporting pupils to schools. Free school transport cost West Lothian Council £1,245 per pupil for over 6,000 mainstream students last year.
Councillor Questions Costs
Conservative councillor Alison Adamson argues that the bill should be covered by the Scottish Government, which provides free travel passes to teenagers. At a meeting of the Environment and Sustainability PDSP, it was revealed that the target cost per pupil is £1,052, but actual costs exceeded that by nearly £200.
Councillor Adamson first raised concerns about free school transport a year ago, noting the council bears the costs. She asked: “Is this a statutory requirement? Has there been any progress on cutting costs? The money should come from the Scottish Government, which covers bus fares. For the 6,000 pupils, can we reduce these costs?”
Review of Alternatives
The council is exploring ‘crossover’ areas where public transport might be a suitable alternative. However, using bus passes is not straightforward. Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, the council must provide transport for pupils living beyond statutory walking distances: two miles for under-eights, three miles for others attending their catchment school.
Public Transport Manager Nicola Gill noted that West Lothian’s policy is more generous than statutory requirements, and around 4,000 mainstream pupils use provided buses. A survey showed costs are near the national average. She said: “We will review sustainable transport costs. Savings are possible but not enormous. A paper will come to the committee later this year.”
A council spokesperson previously stated: “Commercial bus routes may not meet statutory obligations. West Lothian Council provides transport for secondary pupils living two or more miles from their catchment school and 1.5 miles for primary pupils.”
