Taxi Driver Online

23 Feb 2008

Student travel vouchers idea sparks row

Taxi and bus vouchers for students could be trialled in Leicestershire, if
the ruling Cabinet gives the go-ahead.

The proposal comes in the wake of a plan to charge for children to travel
to county Catholic schools from September.

Parents from Melton sending their children to De Lisle in Loughborough will
have to pay £240 per child to catch a bus to school each year.

The cost of travel is still subsidised through grants, but opposition
councillors have denounced the charges as 'a tax on Catholics'.

However, the ruling Conservative group says it has listened.

It is estimated that the trial will cost £27,500. If it proves to be a success
and is extended county-wide, the total cost would be £195,000 per year.

Students in four areas could receive £50 in travel vouchers, valid until the
end of the summer holidays under the plans.

The trial scheme will be open to students who pay for post-16 educational
transport and who live in four areas including Belvoir-Asfordby.

Nick Rushton, the Cabinet's member for transport, said: "We're
considering this idea to help students in some of our more isolated areas
get out and about.

"We've listened to what young people want and now we're keen to test
whether this kind of scheme can work."

If the Cabinet gives the go-ahead on March 3, the trial will take place
during the summer term and summer holiday. Eligible students will be
notified by post and can apply through the county youth council's "Jitty" website.

But Matthew O'Callaghan, Labour leader at County Hall and county
councillor for Melton North, said: "We opposed the Conservative proposal
to increase travel charges to £180 rising to £240 and now propose to give
a £50 voucher back to those who are paying the higher charge. How stupid.

"It's like a pickpocket stealing £240 from your wallet and giving you £50
back in vouchers. It proves the original policy wasn't thought through and
has led to the increasing isolation of rural young people that we said it would."

Source: Melton Today
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How is this costing money? They are taking away the free buses and charging £240 per year but then giving back £50. So unless my maths has gone astay the scheme will be netting the council £190 per pupil.
Mind you the schools in Melton are just changing from 11-14 age group to 11-16 age group so with all the new investment including re building at least one of the schools, they probably want to "encourage" more of the catholic children to stay at the schools in Melton instead of travelling to Loughborough.

_________________
Grandad,

Well what happens to the kids when they became 15, do they disappear?

_________________
IDFIMH

There are some strange ways in Melton Mowbray and some other parts of Leicestershire. We have what are termed High Schools which cater for the 11-14 age range, except one which is 10-14. At the age of 14 the kids transfer to Upper schools for their last 2 years before the GCSE exams and for A levels.

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Grandad,