03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Carmarthenshire Labour targets Council reserves to fund school transport

PLANS have been unveiled by the Opposition Group on Carmarthenshire Council that would see the recently cut school routes being reinstated, along with an ambitious plan to purchase low emission buses over the next three years.

Carmarthenshire Labour, working alongside Nia Griffith MP and Lee Waters AM, have announced that they intend to force a vote on utilising the Council’s general reserves, which currently amount to around £10 million, in effort to support hard-pressed families and the local environment.

School pupils in Carmarthenshire have seen many of their school bus routes cut in recent months, as a result of the introduction of new regulations by the UK Government. The regulations, passed in 2000 and phased in over several years, restricts the types of vehicles the bus companies could use to ensure that all vehicles can accept wheelchairs. The changes have caused a number of school bus routes to be axed with around 500 pupils directly affected.

Labour state that temporarily funding the axed services could cost approximately £400k and would provide the necessary time needed to establish a long-term solution to the issue.

Alongside Carmarthenshire Labour’s plans to use general reserves to support the reintroduction of vital bus routes, the Group also intend to vote for £3 million of capital reserves to be earmarked for the purchase of ultra-low emission buses, laying the foundations for a new sustainable bus service for the county.

Councillor Rob James, leader of Carmarthenshire Labour, stated “I am proud to announce Carmarthenshire Labour’s ambitious plan to address the Carmarthenshire school bus crisis affecting hundreds of school pupils.

“Having spent months consulting with colleagues across the region, and working with families to find a solution, the self evident answer to this crisis is for Carmarthenshire Council to temporarily fund the bus services and set about establishing a long-term, sustainable solution.

“Carmarthenshire is at the back of the pack when it comes to connectivity. Communities, businesses and families across Carmarthenshire experience the daily struggles associated with years of underfunding on transportation. It is now our vulnerable children that are suffering from this Council’s inaction.The reinstatement of the school routes will safeguard and support our pupils to travel to their place of study.

“This is also an opportunity to address the poor connectivity and lack of public transport that have suffocated our county for many years. We can address the climate crisis, the bus crisis and drastically improve public transport in Carmarthenshire with this plan. I sincerely hope that the Plaid Cymru and Independent coalition back the proposals.”

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