School transport policy 'outdated' [Herald.ie]
- Published: 12 October 2011
Almost £7 million a year could be saved through changes to how children are transported to school, it has been claimed.
Around a quarter of pupils use education board buses and Ulster Unionist education spokesman David McNarry said the existing policy was "out of date".
Around 110,000 children are transported to school in Northern Ireland. Many of the routes which education boards run are not commercially viable, including rural areas or for children with special educational needs.
Mr McNarry said: "We simply cannot afford to ignore potential savings. The least we can look for is a far better working relationship between the education boards and Translink (public transport company), for the benefit of the public purse and to see what reductions can be negotiated with commercial private companies, using the negotiating tool of bulk purchase.
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