Lib Dems call for home to school transport improvements instead of sham review

Liberal Democrats are calling for home to school transport improvements in Surrey at a meeting of the County Council today.

Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat Environment and Transport Spokesperson, says: "Surrey County Council has announced a review, but from the start has said: 'Surrey County Council is not proposing any changes to its home to school transport policy for 2015'. Many children and parents face difficulties with the present arrangements. There are a number of anomalies that mean that it can be unfair for many children, who are denied free school transport by Surrey County Council, which causes them major problems in getting to school.

"It is a total nonsense for Conservative-run Surrey County Council when announcing a review to say that it is not proposing to make any changes in its school transport arrangements. This is despite the real need for change which many Surrey parents want to enable their children to get to school. Liberal Democrats are calling for a full review by councillors of how home to school transport in Surrey is run so that urgent changes can be made. We are calling for a review of six major problems with the present arrangements which have been raised by Surrey parents. They are:

• The discouragement that the present system gives to parents returning to full time work, given the Coalition Government's focus on getting people off benefits and into work. At present if parents cease to receive maximum Working Tax Credit or a child ceases to qualify for free school meals, Home to School Transport stops immediately.
• The difficulties in obtaining school transport by children living in rural parts of Surrey, especially for pupils wanting to go to their nearest school within the Borough or District where they live, where there are community ties, but who live close to Borough or District or County boundaries.
• The difficulties caused by the nearest school to a child's home being denominational when a child is of a different religion.
• People being denied free Home to School Transport when the shortest practical route is far longer than the distances used under the qualifying criteria because there are major physical obstacles (such as railway lines, major roads and reservoirs).
• The difficulties caused to children who live more than 3 miles from any school but who are denied free transport to the parent's school of choice because the parents have not opted for the nearest school.
• The difficulties caused when a child does not live in a school's catchment area, even though it is their nearest school.

"The Conservative administration at County Hall is conducting a sham review, with no intention to make any changes to school transport arrangements. These problems need to be tackled by Surrey County Council to make home to school transport available more fairly where it is genuinely needed."