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Parents of sixth-formers who use subsidised school transport in Newport will face a 5% hike in their contributions from January.
The city council has decided to raise the amount of money parents have to pay because of the rising costs of running the non-statutory service.
Fewer than 100 of the city’s sixth-formers will be affected by the change, according to the council, which said it provides the service to five secondary schools that are “not fully accessible” by public transport.
The council argues per-pupil costs can rise as high as £3,800 annually, and the parental contribution to that sum has remained unchanged, at £370, for nearly a decade.
Increasing that contribution by 5% will save the council £30,000 a year and will mean parents pay an extra £18.50 for the year, for eligible pupils.
In a new report, Newport City Council said it has been “subsidising a non-statutory service” and the current rate of parental contributions “did not offset the actual costs incurred”.
The new fees will come into effect in January, with a “further review to take place in readiness for the start of the 2025/26 academic year”.
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