The introduction of charges for Post 16 school travel has already reduced the number of students using the service and leaving others in limbo.
In a letter send to parents by the Council's Passenger Transport Operations Manager a Council officer informs parents "We have not so far received the same volume of applications for transport from Post 16 students that we would normally expect this time of year This is probably due to the recent changes regarding the provision of Post-16 transport." We warned the County Council that parents in rural areas could not afford their new £600 tax and already we have the evidence. The Council received dozens of letters from families in rural Northumberland warning they simply did not have the money for this new tax on school transport. It is very sad to see that already there are less applications.
Parents have been told by the Council it was "not in a position to award your child a seat from 2nd September." - which is the start of term!
In the Council's rush to impose charges on rural families they have created chaos in their own system. We now have the ridiculous state of affairs where some parents do no even know if their child will be able to get the school bus. That situation is not acceptable.
You can read the full story in the Journal:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-guy-opperman-hits-out-7652785
