The thorny subject of school transport will once again be discussed at a North Lanarkshire Council meeting next month.
North Lanarkshire’s SNP Group has had their motion on school transport accepted for the upcoming full council meeting on October 3.
The motion, which calls for the establishment of a member/officer working group to review and update the criteria used to assess school transport routes, will see members vote on this critical issue.
The review proposed in the motion would allow sufficient time to thoroughly evaluate the criteria before any changes are made to primary school provision next year.
The motion also seeks to reassess secondary school transport provision to ensure it meets the new criteria set by the working group.
SNP Group Leader Tracy Carragher said: “We hope that by the motion being heard, and hopefully supported by all councillors, we can ensure children who are walking to school are able to do so safely.
“The SNP group have been unwavering in our endeavours to prevent changes to North Lanarkshire Council’s provision of school transport.
“As a group, we always strive to listen to our constituents and remain true to our manifesto commitments – especially on vital issues such as school transport and the safety of our children.
“We look forward to the motion being heard at full council so we can see some real action take place on this issue – and of course we hope that other parties will put party politics aside on the day and do what is right.”
Last week, concerned parents staged another protest outside the council’s headquarters in Motherwell.
High school pupils have already seen their right to free transport affected by a change to qualifying distances and the local authority is currently assessing safe walking routes to school for primary school-aged children, with any changes set to come into effect for the younger children next year.
In a bid to save £3.6million, North Lanarkshire Council agreed to change qualifying mileage limits for free school transport from one mile to two miles for primary school pupils, and two to three miles for secondary school pupils.
With the new parameters, over 400 children at schools in Wishaw and Motherwell no longer qualify.
Last month, a council spokesperson said: “At the budget meeting (2023-24), the council agreed to change the existing qualifying mileage limits for free mainstream school transport to save £3.6million against a backdrop of having to save £65 million over the next three years.
“This means the qualifying distance criteria for pupils requiring home-to-school transport changed in August 2024 for secondary schools and will change in August 2025 for primary schools, bringing the council in line with the majority of local authorities in Scotland who already have the same qualifying criteria in place.
“A comprehensive assessment programme of all secondary school walking routes has been carried out by independent infrastructure specialists
“By law parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure their child gets to school safely.”
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.