Cuts to council transport budgets have created 100m more ‘school run’ car journeys each year, a pressure group has warned.
The Campaign for Better Transport has claimed nearly 80% of local authorities have cut funding for school and college transport programmes since 2010, with children in rural areas bearing worst affected.
In a report published today, the group warn these cutbacks have resulted in more than 100m additional car journeys each year as local authorities reduce school transport services to the statutory minimum.
The group estimate outside of London, around 300,000 children and 50,000 young people have lost their transport to school or college since 2008.
The Campaign is now urging the Government to extend statutory school transport provision up to the age of 18 years old.
The charity is also calling for the Buses Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, to strengthen the duty for councils to assess public transport needs.
‘School buses are essential to reducing congestion and improving air quality, as well as ensuring young people are able to access their choice of school or college,’ said public transport campaigner, Lianna Etkind.
‘What these figures reveal is a real divide opening up between urban and more rural areas, with children in rural areas having fewer and fewer public transport options.
‘For many parents the choice between working and taking their children to school is becoming a real issue. If the Government is serious about reducing traffic jams and air pollution, it should start with supporting decent school transport,’ added Ms Etkind.
