Falkirk Council: School bus decision delayed until after new session begins

Members of Falkirk Council’s education, children and young people’s executive had been expected to make a decision today (Tuesday) on whether or not to change the distance at which pupils are entitled to a bus season ticket.

But the decision – which council officers had hoped would take effect in August – will now be taken at a future meeting of Falkirk Council, which will not be until September at the earliest.

The proposal would mean around 1000 pupils losing their entitlement to free travel from August, with up to 33 school bus runs being axed altogether.

However, the Conservatives successfully put forward an amendment that meant the decision will be taken at a future meeting of the full council. Conservative group leader Councillor James Kerr said they also wanted to see more information before making the decision, including a full result of the “safe route” assessments the council is currently undertaking.

They also want to see what alternative savings might be put forward as the report warns that changes to school transport might well be the “least worst option”.

Mr Kerr said they also want to know more about how any changes would impact on pupils being able to use breakfast clubs and he also called for a fuller report on the impact of the changes on car usage at schools.

The Conservative amendment was not opposed by either the SNP administration or the Labour group and passed unanimously.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Kerr, said: “We did not receive enough information to vote for these proposals. Not all ‘safe-routes’ had been assessed. There was no projections on the area-wide environmental impact. There was no assessment on how breakfast clubs would be impacted. And there was no alternatives for savings, so we didn’t know if this was the least worst option.

“When councillors make decisions, we have to make sure that we are making the best decisions for the long-term prosperity of Falkirk. To ensure we do this, we need all the information we can get before making decisions. I am glad we got cross-party support for this amendment.”

Gary Greenhorn, Falkirk Council’s head of planning and resources, told members that it would not be possible to get the information required before the summer break. He added that the decision to take the matter to full council means that any change will not happen until January next year at the earliest.

Mr Greenhorn admitted that while it would be possible to implement the change mid-year, it would be much easier to do so at the start of a school session.