Half of school minibuses not ready for new term

Twenty-five of the new vehicles will take to the roads from September

Only half of 50 new specially-modified school minibuses bought by Lancashire County Council for children with special educational needs will be ready for the start of term.

Twenty-five of the vehicles will take to the roads from September, 18 months after they were ordered with the rest brought into use "in the coming months", the authority said.

Nationwide supply chain issues affecting the conversion of the minibuses are thought to be the reason for the hold up.

The hope is the new vehicles will drive down the council's bill for the "home-to-school" transport service, which is expected to hit £61m by the end of the current financial year.

The full complement of new vehicles - a purchase made by the previous Conservative administration - will take the total in-house fleet at the now Reform UK-run authority to 208, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ensure pupil safety

The move came amid spiralling demand for a service that caters predominantly for children who are entitled to be ferried to and from class as a result of stipulations in their education, health and care plans.

According to a report presented to cabinet members last month, home-to-school transport cost the authority – whose patch excludes Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – £4.3m more than it had budgeted for during 2024/25.

That made it the most overspent element of the highways and transport department – although that was down by almost half on 2023/24, when school transport spending overshot its target by £8.1m.

It is hoped the expanded in-house minibus fleet will reduce the county council's use of expensive, privately-hired taxis, often for individual children, and allow young people to travel in larger groups.

Each of the new and existing vehicles is staffed by a passenger assistant, as well as the driver, to ensure the safety of the pupils being transported.