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Council Invests £10M Annually to Improve SEND Transport

12/9/2025

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Council Tackles Transport Costs

Bath and North East Somerset Council spends over £10 million annually on home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A lack of local SEND spaces forces pupils to travel to northern Oxfordshire, raising taxi costs (£87.50–£283.25 daily).
The council plans a new special school to address this, but government approval is pending.
It is hiring drivers and purchasing vehicles to cut reliance on taxi services.

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Committee Revises Transport Terminology

The Public Accounts Committee discussed renaming 'home-to-school transport' to 'assisted travel to school' to manage parental expectations.
Local authorities must provide free transport for children who cannot walk to school for various reasons.
A report found England's costs reach £2.3 billion annually, with 40% of beneficiaries having special educational needs (SEND).
Witnesses urged a more flexible approach and highlighted concerns about access for older students and the system's complexity.

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Council Tackles Transport Costs

Bath and North East Somerset Council spends over £10 million annually on home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
A lack of local SEND spaces forces pupils to travel to northern Oxfordshire, raising taxi costs (£87.50–£283.25 daily).
The council plans a new special school to address this, but government approval is pending.
It is hiring drivers and purchasing vehicles to cut reliance on taxi services.

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