Banbury MP speaks out on county council's decision to withdraw Spare Seats Scheme on several school routes

Victoria Prentis, alongside the other Conservative MPs in Oxfordshire, has urged the county council to reverse its unexpected decision.

The scheme, which offers a paid transport place for pupils who do not qualify for free school transport and has hundreds of children relying on the scheme to get to school, could be impacted by the service cancellations which will come into effect from September.

Speaking on the decision the MPs said: “We are very concerned to hear about the county council’s decision to withdraw the Spare Seats Scheme on some services. Our constituents have told us that they are worried about the impact it will have, with some considering reducing work hours or changing roles to allow them the time to drive their children to and from school.

"It is unacceptable that the county council have taken this decision without any consultation. They claim that because they do not have a statutory duty to deliver the scheme they do not need to involve parents.”

“It also goes against the county council’s own environmental ambitions. They have promised to reduce car journeys by one in four this decade yet are forcing parents to drive their children to and from school.

"We are very concerned about children’s safety as they are expected to walk along busy roads not served by footpaths to get to school. We urge the council to re-think their decision as a matter of urgency.”

A spokesperson for the county council said: “We are withdrawing the Spare Seats Scheme on certain routes where we have high levels of students travelling who are not entitled to free home to school transport, and where it is no longer cost neutral for the council to provide. In some cases there will still be spare seats available, but not in the quantity there is currently.

“About 235 students who currently use the Spare Seat Scheme will be affected. About 1,149, who also use the Spare Seat scheme at the moment, will not be affected.”

“The council is very mindful when making these difficult decisions of the impact on the environment and reducing carbon but this has to be balanced against the council’s budget.”