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Proposals to cut school transport services in Caerphilly County Borough have been abandoned, just days before councillors were due to revisit them.
The council announced today (Friday September 5) proposed changes to the minimum qualifying distances for free bus transport “will not go ahead”.
The plans would have meant some secondary school pupils walking six-mile round trips to school each day.
Cllr Sean Morgan, who leads the local authority, said the decision to scrap the proposed cuts was down to public feedback and the findings of recent safety inspections.
“We have listened carefully to the feedback from the community, as well as considering the findings of recent risk assessments undertaken along the various walking routes,” he said.
Backbench councillors delayed the initial cuts earlier this year, when they insisted road safety checks should be carried out on the borough’s 39 main school walking routes.
A report on those inspections deemed one route “unsafe” – between Fochriw and Idris Davies School (in Abertysswg) – and also said safety improvements would be required on a further nine major routes.
These could include clearing vegetation from roadsides, maintaining existing footways, providing dropped kerbs and improving crossing points, and adding new signposting to crossings.
Councillors were due to discuss the inspectors’ findings at a meeting on September 8, ahead of a final decision by cabinet members later in the month – but those plans have now been abandoned.
The council had already rowed back on its initial proposals by deciding to drop cuts to primary school transport provision, but intended to push on with increasing the minimum qualifying distance for free secondary school transport, from two to three miles.
According to Cllr Morgan, the decision to scrap all the proposed transport cuts “clearly demonstrates this Labour administration is responding positively to feedback from the community”.
“Just as we maintained our current transport policy for primary pupils, we’re now doing the same for secondary pupils,” he added. “Caerphilly remains one of only two Welsh councils offering school transport distances that are more generous than Welsh Government requirements.”
Transport for pupils who have additional learning needs was safeguarded in the council’s original proposals, so therefore was not facing cuts.
Following the announcement, Steve Aicheler, a Liberal Democrat community councillor from Machen who earlier this week questioned the council’s plans, said: “I’m relieved that the cuts have been cancelled, and I know parents across Caerphilly will feel the same.
“However, how much time and money has been wasted on traffic reports and consultations? It’s another example of poor leadership from the Labour cabinet.”
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