Taxi Driver Online

Special-needs Bradford taxi bill rises to £3.2million


Concerns have been raised about the soaring cost of providing taxis to transport special-needs pupils to their schools in Bradford.

The annual cost has increased by another £112,422 since March 21 and now stands at more than £3.2 million a year.

In the last nine months alone, the number of special-needs pupils requiring taxi or minibus transport in the Bradford district has increased by three per cent from 941 to 969.

To accommodate the extra numbers, the total number of contracts awarded to taxi and minibus operators has increased by 43 to a total of 478 contracts – a 9.9 per cent rise since march 2008.

A new report to go before Metro’s tendered services working group said: “There is concern that while taxi costs in other districts have been largely stable this is not the case in Bradford.

“This is the subject of ongoing discussions. Work is ongoing with Education Bradford to better manage the numbers of contract amendments and hence control costs more effectively.”

In neighbouring Calder-dale, the number of special-needs pupils requiring taxi or minibus transport has gone down from 104 to 100 since March 2008.

Despite the 3.8 per cent reduction in pupil numbers, the cost has risen by £18,027 due to the number of contract changes that have taken place.

The cost of providing taxis and minibuses for special-needs pupils across West Yorkshire as a whole now stands at £12.3 million.

Metro, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Auth-ority, has an agreement to share this cost with the local education authorities in the county’s five districts.

In Bradford, the LEA pays 82 per cent and Metro contributes 18 per cent.

Metro’s proportion of the overall annual cost is expected to rise by £132,513. This includes part payment of £100,000 for the conversion of Keighley & District vehicles to Mybus standards as part of the Ilkley Grammar School scheme.

The issue will be discussed by Metro’s tendered services working group at it next meeting on Wednesday.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Have they always used licenced operators or did they previously allow vehicles under the contract exemption which ended last year?

_________________

http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I dont know......but I know the press, hows about,

Council fail disabled child shocker!

?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

At an Average of £6,700 per contract im guessing in some instances the council is paying well over the odds to some Operators, but then again like all council tenders its very seldom the price tendered that dictates who gets the Contract at the best price..it usually comes down to who you know and not what you offer, Im sure if the council played off a level playing field they could probably knock a fair chunk off their special needs bill..and if they shared a few more runs maybe a bit more.

No mention though if that price also Includes the care assistants that usually usually have to ride shotgun for the special needs pupils, if they are in the equasion then its not purely the cost of Taxis or PH thats bumping up the price but the over regulation of who can take who where thats adding to their councils Price Issues. 48 extra contracts could mean 48 extra care assistants to pay!!

I wonder where that happens

Not necessarily, if each car takes 4 children it works out very good value IMO.

_________________
IDFIMH