Expenditure on School Transport - Find a freedom of information request

Please provide the following details regarding school transport services for the past two fiscal years:

1. Expenditure on School Transport:

- Total expenditure breakdown by vehicle type (taxis, private hire, minibuses etc).

2. Student Count by Vehicle Type:

- Number of students per vehicle type (taxis, private hire, minibuses).

3. Allocation Criteria:

- Criteria used for vehicle allocation (considerations like distance, special needs).

4. Cost Analysis:

- Cost analysis of transportation modes (factors affecting costs, cost-saving measures).

5. Special Needs Transport:

- Number of students with special needs using transport services.

- Accommodations and arrangements for special needs students.

I humbly request that the information be presented in a tabular format, encompassing fiscal years, vehicle types, expenditure amounts, student counts, allocation criteria, cost breakdowns, and data relating to special needs transport.

 

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. 

 2. To find and collate this information would take longer than the 18hours allowed under section 12 (1) of the FOI Act. Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information 2000 does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit is currently £450 or 18 hours at a cost of £25 per hour. The exemption under section 12 is not subject to the public interest test Any refined request will be treated as a new request under the Freedom of Information Act.

3. Across educational travel provision (School Transport), we plan routes and vehicles based on the requirements of the passengers and the number of passengers requiring travel provision. Where it is required and appropriate, passenger risk assessments are undertaken to determine a passenger’s requirements.

4. There are several factors affecting the cost of educational travel provision, which include the number of passengers eligible for home-to school/college transport continuing to increase, the requirements of some passengers are becoming more complex, resulting in additional support and equipment to ensure that they have suitable provision to meet their needs; this has an associated additional cost. In addition, since pre-COVID, contract prices in the passenger transport supplier market have increased significantly due to the additional costs faced by the industry. Transport operators are experiencing increased fuel costs and national living wage costs, which affect their ability to remain sustainable. Market sufficiency issues also remain with the limited availability of vehicles, drivers and passenger assistants to supervise our most vulnerable pupils, impacting contract prices.

5. a) 2061 (as at 20 Jan 22) 2568 (as at 19 Jan 23)

b) Transport arrangements for students with SEND are made based on the individual passenger’s requirements. These are determined in a number of ways based on information held by us from the application process and from discussions with parents / carers and education settings or by our fieldwork team completing a passenger risk assessment. This will determine any specific requirements needed to transport the passenger in the most suitable manner ensuring compliance, and to allow the student to reach their educational setting in a timely manner.

Our operators use many types of vehicles including accessible vehicles with ramps and lifts to ensure passengers have the necessary access for their requirements. Passenger assistants are required for some students and their training is based on the passenger’s requirements.