Council considers changes to post 16 school and college transport to save money

Anthony Lewis, local democracy reporter

A council is considering changes to post-16 school and college transport which could save it more than £40,000.

A report for Merthyr Tydfil’s full council on Wednesday, 2 October, recommends councillors approve changes to the service which would see free post-16 transport provided only to The College, Merthyr Tydfil, Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun for Welsh-medium education post-16, and St John Baptist Church in Wales High School for pupils attending the school for statutory education.

This option would only remove transport to Coleg Y Cymoedd (Ystrad Mynach /Aberdare) and Bridgend College, Pencoed campus.

The consultation showed that this was the second most-popular option with 39% of people saying it was their preferred choice and it would include savings of £42,000.

The other option shortlisted was to keep the service as it is which is the most popular option with the public with 52% rating this as their preferred choice.

Review

Following a review of council services with the aim of achieving financial savings post-16 transport has been identified as a service that is currently delivered above statutory levels.

There is no statutory duty to provide free transport to post-16 learners who
continue their studies in mainstream further education or training and the council’s current post-16 transport service is a discretionary one.

The report is putting forward options for post-16 ransport to “become more efficient and sustainable now and over the long-term”.

Currently the council provides free transport to schools and colleges for pupils to attend a first course of full-time study including The College, Merthyr Tydfil, and where courses are not available in The College, Merthyr, transport is provided to Coleg Y Cymoedd (Ystrad Mynach and Aberdare campuses only) and Bridgend College (Pencoed College).

For pupils who attended statutory secondary education out of county for either Welsh-medium or faith education they will continue to receive transport to Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun (Welsh-medium) and St John Baptist Church in Wales High School (faith).

Travel passes

Transport is either provided by dedicated learner transport such as a coach, minibus, or taxi or through travel passes on public transport (train or bus).

In academic year 2023-24 there were 177 post-16 students awarded transport via the current post-16 transport policy.

Some of the concerns raised in the consultation included the negative impact it would have on children and young people’s education and future, increasing barriers to education, the negative impact it would have on children and young people’s health and wellbeing, concerns that savings are being targeted from services for young people, the negative impact on the environment and sustainable modes of travel, and concerns about accessing college courses not available in The College, Merthyr.

If approved the changes will take effect from September 2025 but students have already started post-16 eucation before September 2025 will continue to receive free transport for the full duration of their course.

The removal of post-16 transport would only affect those pupils that are starting courses from September 2025 onwards.

Due to the phasing out of transport the financial savings from streamlining post-16 transport are staggered before the full savings are achieved, the report said.

So the financial savings for 2025-26 would be zero but for 2026-27 they would be £24,637 and then £42,235 for 2027-28.