For immediate release:

“YOU’VE LET SCHOOL KIDS DOWN” – AS COUNCIL CUTS FREE SCHOOL BUS PROVISION

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have come in for a wave of criticism after voting to cut free school transport provision.

South Lanarkshire Council had been consulting on changing the qualifying distance for pupils benefiting from free school buses. Currently, the distance that a mainstream secondary pupil must live from their catchment school in order to qualify for free school transport is more than 2 miles.

At a meeting of the council’s Executive Committee on Wednesday August 7, councillors voted against SNP plans to maintain the current provision and instead voted to cut it – meaning people will need to live more than 3 miles from their catchment school.

The changes will come into force from August 2025.

Local children, young people and their families have been protesting against the plans for several months.

The council’s own consultation document found that 84 percent of respondents opposed the cuts, including 92 percent of parents and carers.

The proposals were due to be voted on several months ago, but this was controversially postponed until after the General Election – leading to accusations from local SNP politicians that it was delayed given the decision could have political implications.

Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey and Cambuslang East councillor, Katy Loudon, have supported the campaign against the cuts from the start and both have slammed the Labour/Liberal Democrat administration for the move.

Commenting, Ms Haughey said:

“Children, young people, and their parents and carers have been badly let down by this Labour/Liberal Democrat administration.

“The consultation exercise was clearly a sham given an overwhelming majority were against the cuts, but Labour and Lib Dem councillors have proceeded to remove the free school bus provision for many anyway.

“During both a climate and cost of living crisis, the move beggar’s belief.

“The Scottish Government has given South Lanarkshire Council record funding this year, in the face of Tory austerity and Westminster economic and financial chaos.

“The free school transport cuts won’t go ahead until next year. As such, the Labour administration at South Lanarkshire Council have clearly accepted that their new UK Government will continue with the Tories’ austerity agenda and will fail to provide more funding for Scottish public services next year.

“Labour and Liberal Democrats have failed the children and young people of South Lanarkshire – shame on them.”

Commenting, Cllr Katy Loudon said:

“The consultation results were overwhelming – our communities do not want these unsafe and unworkable cuts.

“We knew the Administration’s likely position when the decision was delayed, but it’s still shocking to see them vote to snatch free travel from local children and young people.

“Parents, carers and young people have led an extremely powerful campaign, and our SNP group have been behind them all the way.

“Labour Councillors even attended protest walks alongside us and they had a chance to vote for an amendment I put forward which would have maintained free school bus provision.

“But, when push came to shove, every single one of them voted in line with their party.”

ENDS