School Transport

kissmeimposh

Thanks in advance for any insights about a very distressing matter:

Where a child is entitled to free school transport due to distance of allocated school, and the Council suddenly and unexpectedly informs that they have determined that transport of a very very young child will be ALONE in a taxi with only a taxi driver (ie, instead of being accompanied by other children or an escort, or riding on a bus) is this something that the parents should have to accept?

Should the Council have had to make this prospect known to the parents before the parents were asked to consider the allocated school?

Also, if the Council distinctly stated in writing that there is no set appeals process for school transport does this breach law? Can the local government ombudsman or anyone else then adjudicate where the Council has stated that there is no appeals process for this type of decision?

whatatwit

I think this may be better answered in the home and family section of the board.
I don't think there are any mods on the board who will move the thread, so you may be better re posting.
Sorry.

purch

is this something that the parents should have to accept?

No...you can always refuse the 'free' School Transport and make your own arrangements

Using a Taxi will be by far the least cost effective way to transport a child to school, so your Council will not have decided to use a Taxi unless they had no other option.

For example, a Full Size Coach carrying 50-70 kids will cost around £150 a day (less than £3 a child).....whereas the Taxi is probably costing the Council £50-70 a day for just one child.

The Taxi operator will need to be CRB checked just as the Bus driver would be, and in order to operate the Taxi as a contracted school vehicle he/she will need to hold either a Hackney Licence or a Special Restricted Operators Licence, both of which will require the operator to be thoroughley vetted.

I can easily see why you are unhappy with the idea, but you can be certain that your Council are not using the Taxi option without it being the last resort.

Every County Council in the country are experiencing huge strains on their Transport budgets, and they won't be throwing money away using expensive options if there was any possibility of using a cheaper method.

Both my children use School Transport, and we have had some issues over the years, which have always been dealt with sympathetically and efficiently by my Council.

All school transport will be run under regulation by VOSA http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/index.htm

kissmeimposh

purch wrote: »

No...you can always refuse the 'free' School Transport and make your own arrangements

Using a Taxi will be by far the least cost effective way to transport a child to school, so your Council will not have decided to use a Taxi unless they had no other option.

For example, a Full Size Coach carrying 50-70 kids will cost around £150 a day (less than £3 a child).....whereas the Taxi is probably costing the Council £50-70 a day for just one child.

The Taxi operator will need to be CRB checked just as the Bus driver would be, and in order to operate the Taxi as a contracted school vehicle he/she will need to hold either a Hackney Licence or a Special Restricted Operators Licence, both of which will require the operator to be thoroughley vetted.

I can easily see why you are unhappy with the idea, but you can be certain that your Council are not using the Taxi option without it being the last resort.

Every County Council in the country are experiencing huge strains on their Transport budgets, and they won't be throwing money away using expensive options if there was any possibility of using a cheaper method.

Both my children use School Transport, and we have had some issues over the years, which have always been dealt with sympathetically and efficiently by my Council.

All school transport will be run under regulation by VOSA http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/index.htm

Thanks for your comments. I trust you will agree with me that I care very little if at all how about how much money the Council would be saving, in comparison to how much I care about the safe transport of my child. You ahve two kids on taxi, presumably travelling together. Do they have an escort? Would you trust a stranger's taxi to transport your own very little child travelling alone? The vetting is useful for the Council's liability limitations and can give indications of past convictions but does not reliably prevent future molestations!
Also, if the Council had no other transport option they should never have allocated a child to that school or at least should have very clearly indicated to the parents that attendance at that school might entail the child's transport alone with a stranger driver however vetted.

VOSA seems only to be related to roadworthiness and not to child safety issues from a personnel point of view! I don't doubt that the Taxi will have had an MOT and has proper seatbelts etc.

sad_dog_lady

if the child has s.e.n there is a part on the statement that can be "amended" tweaked with to allow a person to travel with them.

kissmeimposh

sad_dog_lady wrote: »

if the child has s.e.n there is a part on the statement that can be "amended" tweaked with to allow a person to travel with them.

Thanks for your comment and apologies for my ignorance but what is SEN?

sad_dog_lady

special educational needs

CLAPTON

specal educational needs

ekkygirl

How old is this very very young child? He/she must be rising 5, not a baby. If I were you I would see if there is any way you could travel with him for first couple of times so he gets to know the journey. To say you dont care how much it costs is annoying unless you plan to pay for it yourself because guess who pays? it is not the council.
I would get the car out and take him myself if I didnt think he could cope.

shirlgirl2004

He or she does not have to be rising 5 my DD starts school next week and she was only 4 on the 25th August. Hardly rising 5. If I suggested sending her off in a car with a stranger she'd have a break down.

Mind you as a parent I would take her myself wether that be by bus, car, cycling or any other method. As a parent before you accept a place in a school you should consider how YOU are going to get the child there!

ekkygirl

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

He or she does not have to be rising 5 my DD starts school next week and she was only 4 on the 25th August. Hardly rising 5. If I suggested sending her off in a car with a stranger she'd have a break down.

Mind you as a parent I would take her myself wether that be by bus, car, cycling or any other method. As a parent before you accept a place in a school you should consider how YOU are going to get the child there!

So therefore she is rising 5 i.e 5 next birthday. I know what you mean though they already have to grow up too fast