PARENTS TO PAY 35% MORE FOR ‘PRIVILEGE SEAT’ SCHOOL TRANSPORT

UPDATED: Parents on the Isle of Wight have been hit with the news that the cost of sending their children to school via the ‘privilege seat scheme’ will now cost an additional £105 a year – an increase of over 35%.

Privilege seats are available for parents/guardians to purchase if their child is not eligible for a free term ticket and would like for them to travel on a contracted school bus service. Until now the cost has been £95 per term but from September 2018 that is shooting up to £130 per term – £390 per year.

Not only is it going to cost more but applications will only be accepted between 09:00 on Monday 9th July and 17:00 on Friday 20 July 2018. Previously there have been a number of windows of opportunity to apply.

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Even then it is pot luck as to whether or not an application is successful with all applications put into an automated, random-number generator that is used to allocate children to bus services.

This year the whole process is changing for Island parents with online applications available, which can be checked and followed through with payment entirely on the Council’s website. The increased fee can be paid for in half termly instalments, termly payments or a one-off payment for the academic year.

Parents will be notified during the beginning of August as to whether or not their application has been successful – payment must then be made, as appropriate, by 24th August.

Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for education, said:

“I’m pleased we’re able to offer even more children the opportunity to travel to school using a bus.
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“All children eligible for school transport have had the appropriate routes identified and they have been issued with their bus passes.
“As such, we now have a number of spare seats available, which will be offered via a randomised application process.”

The Council say that the privilege seat scheme remains cheaper than other local authorities, such as neighbouring Hampshire, and the new academic year has given an opportunity for a small saving to the budget plan.

UPDATE TUESDAY – Vix Lowthion, spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Green Party has said:

“Yet again this council fails to encourage public transport use and puts the burden of costs upon local families. These are spare seats and we should be encouraging their use – not punishing parents for doing the right thing. IW Council must reverse this decision – and fast.
“For many parents – particularly West and South Wight – due to no high school or over subscription, council buses are the only way to get to any high school and all schools are roughly equidistant away, regardless of choice. These families must not be penalised by this Conservative Council”