https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-councils-spending-over-26994658
Hard-up town halls in Greater Manchester are spending more than half a million pounds every week on taxis to take children to and from school amid fears transport services for pupils are at "breaking point".
Across the region nearly at least 4,600 pupils have taxis to school paid for by their local authorities, who have a legal duty to help children who cannot walk or use public transport to get there, analysis by The Northern Agenda politics newsletter reveals.
The sky-high costs are in part caused by an increase in the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who need to go to a specialist school, often outside the local council's boundaries. Rising fuel prices, wages and inflation are also adding to the cost.
Town hall leaders say free school transport is a "lifeline" for many pupils but that funding pressures, rising demand and costs "are pushing the home-to-school transport scheme to breaking point". And a leading charity says it fears councils are looking at ways to cut SEND school transport, which is "an integral part of a child’s education".
Families have told of children eligible for school transport being refused or offered an unsuitable means of getting to school, like a bus pass for a disabled child who needs close supervision.
In Greater Manchester nine of the region's ten councils responded to Freedom of Information Requests, with only Rochdale refusing to provide details of its spend.
The total weekly bill was £582,834 for 4,611 children, with 721 pupils getting taxis to school outside their local authority area. The biggest spending Greater Manchester authority was Stockport at £138,515, though the highest number of pupils was 1,161 in Salford.
and all that's followed up with a readers poll I voted yes of course
Wigan spent £33,291, Salford £124,000, Tameside £105,667, Oldham £100,845, Bolton £8,706, Bury £11,360, Manchester £60,450 and Trafford £119,475.
A Stockport council spokesperson said: We have a legal duty to assist pupils to and from school when they are not able to or safely do so on account of their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
"Stockport has experienced increased demand for travel assistance as a direct result of an increase in both the number of children in Stockport with SEND but also the complexity of the needs they present.
"This is reflective of the increased demand for travel assistance both regionally and nationally. The assistance we offer is tailored to meet the needs of each pupil and is offered through cooperation with the child or young person, their parents and professionals working with the family."