School buses and crossing patrols in Falkirk Council's budget cuts firing line

Some school crossings could be scrapped

Falkirk Council is considering axing nine school crossing patrols and changing the criteria for free school transport.

Councillors were told that "everything should be on the table" as they agreed to consider a series of changes that could save more than £500,000.

The recommendations were made as part of a new budget strategy challenging unnecessary spending.

Last week the council said it faced an "unprecedented budget gap".

SNP councillor Paul Garner, the council's economic development spokesperson, said the savings would "be very difficult for us to agree - but the starting point is to gather the facts and have a grown-up discussion about the best way forward."

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Councillors were told that of the 45 school crossing patrols provided, nine exceeded the national criteria.

Withdrawing all nine would mean saving approximately £32,000 per annum.

Councillors said they would need to consider the implications carefully, especially with regard to road safety - but they agreed to look at the possibility of making the cuts.

Another change being considered is the distance criteria for pupils entitled to free school bus travel.

Falkirk Council transports about 3,500 mainstream pupils to and from school using about 120 vehicles costing approximately £2.9m every year.

Rising costs caused by increases in fuel, energy and wages saw the bill increase by £750,000 this year and prices are anticipated to get even higher when the next tendering takes place in three years time.

Currently pupils under eight who live more than a mile from their catchment school and pupils over eight who live more than two miles from their catchment school are entitled to free travel.

However the statutory requirement is two miles for children under eight and three miles for those over eight years old.

While the proposal could save up to £450,000, about 1,300 pupils would find themselves without transport and a consultation would be required.

There will also be a review of transport costs for approximately 560 children with additional support needs (ASN), which currently has an annual cost of about £2m, excluding the cost of 100 passenger transport assistants.

Story provided by local democracy reporter Kirsty Paterson

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