Cabinet approve home to school transport changes
RCT's Labour Cabinet agreed to changes to the home to school transport provision following a consultation exercise which began in May.
The changes bring them in line with the legal requirement to only provide free transport for pupils living two miles from a primary school or three miles from a secondary school – they currently provide it at one and a half and two miles.
They will continue to provide buses for those currently getting free transport but who live outside the new distances at a charge of £1.50 a day or 50p for those on free school meals.
Sixth form pupils will have to pay regardless of how far from their chosen school / College they live. RCT Welsh Liberal Democrat Campaign Manager Karen Roberts says this is disgraceful in light of proposals to remove the sixth form from some Rhondda schools.
"These pupils through no fault of their own will be made to travel further if they chose to stay on in sixth form.
"It is totally unfair that they will be faced with costs of £7.50 a week. If the changes to school provision are not enough to put some off then the fact that they will have to pay £7.50 a week to travel to school certainly will. That is if the Council decide to put on buses in the first place to new destinations."
