School travel pass charge to be axed

May 10 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

CONTROVERSIAL transport charges for hundreds of A-level and college students in Northumberland are to be scrapped as soon as practically possible following the shake-up of political control in the county.

Liberal Democrat councillors – who now form the biggest single group on the county council with 26 seats – have told senior officers to arrange for the £360 annual charge to be removed at the earliest possible date. Lib Dems, supported by the authority’s new 17-strong Conservative and Independent group, are fulfilling a long-standing pledge to get rid of the charges, which were introduced more than four years ago to raise extra income.

The charges have been heavily criticised as a tax on rural families, and have resulted in the number of students using post-16 transport plummeting from more than 2,000 to less than 600.

Earlier this year the former Labour administration launched a formal consultation exercise on a proposal to reduce the annual cost from £360 to £200 – but now it will disappear completely.

The move could result in large numbers of post-16 students going back to using free bus services, instead of having to pay for a travel pass or making alternative transport arrangements.

Yesterday Lib Dem group leader Jeff Reid said: “This was always our number one election pledge and we have already told the chief executive and senior officers to go away and fix it as soon as possible.

“We believe this is an unfair charge on education and getting rid of it is a price worth paying. We are determined to keep our election promises and we are pleased that the Conservatives support us on this.”

Hexham Conservative MP Peter Atkinson, a long-standing critic of the charges, said: “This is extremely good news. Over the years, and especially since they jacked the charged up to the unsustainable £360, it has caused real hardship to people, especially families with more than one child over 16.”

Berwick Lib Dem MP Alan Beith said: “I very much welcome this initiative, which is much needed in many parts of the county. The present situation is grossly unfair and a lot of families will be grateful if this can be sorted out quickly.”

There was widespread anger when the Labour-controlled authority agreed a massive 53% rise in the cost of the travel pass, taking it to £360, in 2007.

The council introduced the charges to help trim its £9m-a-year school transport budget, pointing out that it didn’t get Government funding for providing post-16 transport.

Last night a council spokeswoman said: “The new executive will take office following the annual meeting on May 21. We will then be working hard to implement the policies of the new administration as quickly as possible.”