Councillors to Revisit Decision on Axing Free Home to School Transport in Monmouthshire

A DECISION to axe free home to school transport for some 300 pupils in Monmouthshire will be looked at again by councillors. 
The county council’s Labour-led cabinet agreed last week to adopt the Welsh Government’s statutory distances and only provide primary pupils with a free bus pass if they live two miles or more from their nearest, or most suitable, school and three miles for secondary pupils. 
The council previously provided free transport from 1.5 and two miles but said it could no longer afford the more generous scheme. 
However the decision will now be examined at a special meeting of the people scrutiny committee at 9.30am on Thursday, September 19. 
Conservative councillors Lisa Dymock, Phil Murphy and Tony Kear called the decision in for review claiming a consultation over the summer holidays was insufficient. The cabinet said it couldn’t start until after the general election, and the policy must be in place by October before the academic year in 2025. 
The select committee can accept the decision, ask the cabinet to reconsider or refer it to the full council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​