School transport policy overhauled as council faces rising costs

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

Members of a south Wales council have approved an updated version of their home-to-school transport policy amid soaring cost pressures seen within the service.

The decision was approved at a recent Neath Port Talbot Council cabinet meeting after consultation with pupils, schools, parents, and carers.

A previous review was carried out in 2017 though was followed by what was described as “a number of key policy decisions” from Welsh Government which meant another full review was required.

It comes after years of cost pressures in the service with an overspend of £543,000 already predicted in the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year as a result of growth in demand and increased fuel costs.

The authority also added £1m worth of targeted savings back in to the annual revenue budget for home-to-school transport earlier this year with a reported net budget for the service of £10.3m.

A key change in the policy will now see a change in name from “home-to-school transport” to the “learner travel assistance policy” to reflect that support is not limited to providing transport and may include a wider range of travel options such as personal travel budgets.

Additionally it will be written in a way that makes it easier to understand how decisions about learner travel support are made as well as strengthening support for learners who may need additional help.

The report said: “It is believed that a more consistent and clear policy will help officers improve service delivery while managing rising costs.”

It added that Neath Port Talbot Council currently provides some form of travel assistance to around 4,500 learners across the borough.

To qualify a child must attend their nearest suitable school and the journey from home must meet the distance criteria.

The policy says the council will provide travel assistance for primary-aged children who live two miles or more from their school and for secondary-aged children who live three miles or more from their school.

During a previous scrutiny session some members said they were disappointed with the relatively low level of consultation responses received on the policy though the report noted that 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with its overall aim.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting councillor Nia Jenkins said:”It’s good to see there were hardly any complaints about the proposals and I thank everybody including at home online for bringing this to us.”

The updated policy was approved unanimously by members ahead of implementation in 2027.

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