Parents concerned over school bus services

Oxfordshire County Council said the Spare Seats Scheme would continue to be available

Families that do not qualify for free school transport have raised concerns around their children’s school commute.

Oxfordshire parents said they were facing rising bus costs and cancelled services -with only a few weeks' notice.

A Spare Seats Scheme, where parents could pay for a place on a school bus, is being replaced with a private service, costing £1,100 per child per year.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said the authority was “committed” to continue providing home to school transport.

Fran from Middle Barton has two children that go to Chipping Norton School.

She said she was feeling "stuck between a rock and a hard place".

"It's going to be me either getting the kids on a school transport or opting not to eat for the month," she said.

Fran added that she was not prepared to move them out from the school where they were happy, "even if that was an option" but every other one "is at capacity".

"I feel that the rural communities are highly affected by this," she said.

"It's slightly easier if you have better transport links but we don't have any."

She said that she did not want her children's attendance to be affected and she tried to get them to school "at cost".

"But then, I need to work. If I don't, I'm going to have Universal Credit on my back."

Fran said that a family had stepped in to help her but she did not see it as a "long-term" solution.

Oxfordshire County Council said it looked at the situation "on a route by route basis as contracts come up for renewal".

"From September 2024, Spare Seats will continue to be available on routes where [the council] provided a service during the last academic year," a spokesperson said.

The scheme would apply either on services provided by the council or by private operators that would set an independent fare.

"We meet our legal obligations in providing home to school transport, and are committed to continuing to do so," the authority said.