April 21, 2024, BBC News: Lancashire: Council's special needs transport costs go up £8m [$10M]
NW England
School transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities looks set to cost a council a £8.4m [$10M] more than planned.
Lancashire County Council's predicted overspend for 2023/24 has spiralled almost £2.5m [$3.1M] since it was last estimated two months ago.
It has invested in about 50 new minibuses to expand its large fleet.
A councillor said the move will cut "eye-watering" private-hire vehicles costs.
A meeting of County Hall's scrutiny management board heard an increase in children with special needs entitled to home-to-school transport as part of their education, health and care plans (EHCPs) was behind the rise. . . .
County councillor Mike Goulthorp, lead member for finance and resources, said he expected the new vehicles would ease pressure on the authority's budget "quite considerably". . . .
Mr Goulthorp added ongoing efforts to create special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) units within mainstream schools across the county would also help bring down the bill.
"It is complex [and] there are two issues - where the kids are actually going to be taught [and] looked after and… how we get them [there] in a safe and efficient manner. . . .
Oliver Starkey, the county council's head of service for public and integrated transport, said the new minibuses will be smaller than the existing in-house fleet, which will make driver recruitment easier - as no additional qualifications are required to take charge of them.
He also added fewer passenger assistants would be needed to carry the same number of children.. . .
