Hampshire disability charity to hold protest against home-to-school transport changes

Last week, Hampshire County Council confirmed new measures to save almost £1m from the home-to-school transport budget, which would be done by setting up public collection points, rather than collecting children directly from home.

Some children will also be transported together in taxis or buses.

The home-to-school transport scheme gets 12,000 children to and from school each day, with roughly a quarter of these having special education needs and disabilities.

The Disability Union has been fiercely critical of the changes, saying the county council is not putting the children first.

On July 30, the charity is hosting a protest at the Castle Club in The Castle, Winchester, between The Great Hall and Winchester Crown Court.

The Disability Union's strategic development officer, Kirsty Smillie, said: 'Parents with children who need school transport already have to fight for adequate care and education , this is just another challenge they will face and one that we predict will have a detrimental effect on school-aged children.

‘We at The Disability Union on behalf of the young people and their parents wish to receive as much support as possible to add weight to our campaign.

‘Vulnerable children should be a priority, they are always the first to suffer from mismanagement of funds and this must be addressed.’

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The council has said that the changes won't be a blanket move, and instead children will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Speaking about the decision last week, deputy council leader Councillor Roz Chadd said: 'I want our home-to-school transport to be inclusive, to support children’s transition but also to be sustainable, so we can deliver this for all the children who need it.

‘Part of that sustainability is trying to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

‘The fact that it’s going to be on a case-by-case basis means I am in full support of the recommendations. We will work with parents and schools over the next two to three years so that the children who are able to meet at a collective point can do so, ensuring our service for the future.’