Walking route deemed ‘unsafe’ ahead of proposed cuts to school transport

A route to Idris Davies School, from Fochriw, is considered “unsafe” for children walking to and from school.

Independent inspectors have raised concerns following a survey of Caerphilly County Borough’s main walking routes for secondary schools.

The council has proposed cutting its school transport service for pupils, bringing qualifying distances in line with Welsh Government minimum standards.

It could mean secondary school pupils across the borough will face round-trip journeys of up to six miles from September 2026.

The plans were delayed earlier this year when backbench councillors insisted safety checks should be carried out on major walking routes before any cuts were confirmed.

A new report on those safety checks shows concern about the route between Fochriw and Idris Davies School in Abertysswg, owing to a section of “non-continuous footway” along a 30mph road.

Traffic-calming measures alone are “unlikely to result in the route being deemed safe”, and there are only “limited” step-offs or a footway for pedestrians.

With an alternative route suffering “similar constraints”, the inspectors said there were “limited opportunities to provide a safe walking route between Pentwyn, Fochriw and Idris Davies School”.

The route was one of 39 inspected as part of a “safe route assessment survey”.

Of the others, 29 were deemed safe in their current form and inspectors said the remaining nine could be made safe if recommended improvements were made.

These could include clearing vegetation from roadsides, maintaining existing footways, providing dropped kerbs and improving crossing points, and adding new signposting to crossings.

Backbench councillors will have another chance to debate the proposals when the council’s joint scrutiny committee meets on Monday September 8.

Their comments and recommendations will then be presented to cabinet members for a final decision later in the month.

The proposals currently on the table apply only to secondary schools, after the cabinet decided to abandon a bid to cut school transport limits for primary-age pupils.

Children who have additional learning needs will not be affected by any school transport changes.

Ahead of the committee meeting, Cllr Sean Morgan, who leads the council, said: “The community welcomed our decision earlier this year to retain the current arrangements for primary school pupils, which clearly demonstrates we listened to the feedback received during the consultation.

“Before considering making any changes to secondary school arrangements, we wanted to ensure that robust safe route assessments have been completed, so that we fully understand the overall picture.”

Steve Aicheler, a Liberal Democrat community councillor from Machen, said he had “serious concerns” a route from the village to Bedwas – either along the A468 or a cycle path – had been judged “safe” by inspectors.

“To describe either of these routes as safe is a serious misjudgement,” he said. “We are talking about children expected to walk in the dark, near fast-moving traffic, or through isolated and poorly-maintained paths. This is not only unsafe – it is unacceptable.”

He added: “This is not about numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s about the safety, wellbeing, and futures of our children.

“We urge the council to put pupils first and rethink these plans before tragedy strikes or attendance falls further.”