Councillor rejects concerns that parents can’t afford school run after free bus axed

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

A senior Labour councillor has said he doesn’t accept parents cannot afford to send their children to school when free transport is axed.

Councillor Martyn Groucutt, who recalled how he used to ride a bike to school, said his parents accepted they had a “responsibility” to get their children to school.

Free home to school transport will be withdrawn in Monmouthshire, from September, for children who currently live more than 1.5 miles from their nearest, or most suitable, primary and two miles from secondary school.

Free bus passes will only be provided in line with the Welsh Government’s statutory distances of two miles or more from primary and three miles from a secondary school from September 2025.

Generous

A number of councils are considering defaulting to the legally required statutory distances with Caerphilly also considering adopting the legal minimum for secondary pupils while Blaenau Gwent has said it has the “most generous” policy in Wales.

Monmouthshire, which confirmed the decision in September, has said it expects to save around £700,000 from its £7 million home to school transport bill and some 300 children could be impacted, although final figures won’t be known until applications for free bus passes are made in the summer.

Cllr Groucutt, who is Monmouthshire council’s cabinet member for education, made his comments when the council agreed its budget for the 2025/26 financial year which includes the change to the school transport policy as part of its £5m savings package.

Responsibility 

The Abergavenny Landsdown ward member who is a retired headteacher and former education officer told the council: “When I was a child, at least 10 years ago, we had the statutory limits then and we didn’t bat an eyelid.

“I think my parents realised that along with having children was a responsibility to get them to school.

“I had a bike, I got a nice bike for passing my 11 plus. I was proud of it.

“It is a difficult one but surely £7m a year in a small geographic county like Monmouthshire is unsustainable and I do not buy the argument that there is so much poverty in Monmouthshire that it is an actual physical thing that stops children getting to school. I just do not buy that one I’m afraid.”

Deprived

In Monmouthshire it is anticipated children living in Thornwell, attending Chepstow Comprehensive, could be impacted by axing free travel.

Part of the area has been recognised as the third most deprived part of Monmouthshire due to low incomes and as having one of the highest rates of repeat school absenteeism in the county according to a report published by the Gwent Public Service Board in 2022.

Cllr Groucutt had also said it was “no surprise” the Labour group, which is the largest on the council, had decided “as a policy” to “support” the Welsh Government’s statutory distances which he said “means we will be taking free transport away from a small number of children.”

It’s understood rows over axing the more generous scheme led to fallouts within the council’s Labour group and among party members who serve on Chepstow Town Council.

When the county council budget was put to a vote shortly after Cllr Groucutt’s comments Armand Watts, the Labour councillor for Bulwark and Thornwell, said he was voting in favour but added: “I do have to disagree with Cllr Groucutt on school transport.”

A report on pupil absence by the Senedd’s children and young people’s committee in November 2022 recommended decisions on transport should be “driven by individual and specific needs” of children and councils should be sufficientlt funded so all youngsters have access to appropriate transport.

Poverty

The committee also heard from children’s commissioner Rocio Cifuentes who said “persistent absence” needed to be seen “in the context of poverty” and said free transport should be extended as attendance figures are “significantly lower” for children without entitlement to free travel.

Education leaders and Children in Wales, the national umbrella body for those working with children, also raised concerns the cost of travelling impacted attendance and the ability of parents to afford bus fares.

Ms Cifuentes described the three mile distance as “problematic” especially if children have to walk up to six miles a day with a heavy bag.

During the Monmouthshire council meeting Cllr Groucutt also his grandchild lives in Malta meaning he “has to visit” the island quite often and said all buses there are free for residents and added: “I would rather everybody went to school for free I guess.”