Transport costs dropped for post-16 students in Powys
A proposal to charge post-16 students for transport to school has been dropped by Powys County Council, for the time being.
The council's cabinet meeting on Tuesday agreed to drop the idea from its new school transport strategy.
It followed weeks of consultation which saw 86 per cent of people involved protest against the move.
There is no requirement for the local authority to provide school or college transport free of charge to any learner who is over compulsory school age.
During the consultation the Governor’s Consultative Committee said that charging post-16 learners for transport could result in losing learners to out of county colleges which could result in Powys sixth forms not being viable.
It also said low income families would be penalised.
Cabinet members voted not to go ahead with charging for transport for post-16 students.
However, Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, portfolio holder for learning and the Welsh language, said: "As the Council is currently operating in a very critical and challenging financial climate, there may be a financial benefit to introducing charges for transport for 16 – 19 year olds to school or college in future. It is a non-statutory service."
Further cost analysis and impact assessments will be made and another report will be brought back to Cabinet in the spring term, 2019.
Home to school transport will be available for full-time learners who live two miles or more from a primary school or three miles or more from the catchment or nearest suitable secondary school or further education college site.
