Home to school travel fees in North Northamptonshire set to rise
Council reviews non-statutory travel costs starting September
North Northamptonshire Council has announced an increase in charges for non-statutory home to school travel services, effective from September. The yearly cost for families required to pay for school transport will rise to £965, up from the current fee of £795.
The reviewed charges aim to address a cost gap that has developed over a decade of minimal changes, resulting in unsustainable subsidy levels for the service.
Cllr Chris McGiffen, the council’s executive member for Highways and Travel, stated, "This is a tough decision that we’ve had to make.
''For years the amount that was charged was not increased sufficiently, and the amount it has been subsidised has just gone up and up to a point where the issue must be addressed."
Acknowledging potential hardships the fee change may cause, McGiffen highlighted available support measures, including sibling discounts and payment plans.
“We are a listening council and I know that there may be some who find this increase hard.
That’s why we have several measures in place to help mitigate this and I’d encourage people to have a look on our website and see what support is on hand.” He added.
The council said local families will be able to arrange monthly payments, provided the full payment is completed by the end of the school year.