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Hefty bill for school taxi run

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Published Date: 15 October 2008
MORE than £740,000 was spent on taking children to school by taxi in East Lothian in the past year.
Figures released under Freedom of Information legislation show that council bosses spent £742,727 on taxis for school pupils, compared with £713,897 the previous year.

The local authority said 80 per cent of the journeys were for children in special needs education.

Taxis were also used for transporting vulnerable children to and from school. A spokeswoman said: "This is the most economical way to transport small numbers to school."





The full article contains 96 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 15 October 2008 11:02 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: East Lothian
 
1

allknowing,

15/10/2008 12:14:23
"special needs education"

What special needs!!! If they want to be treated as equals then they can get the bus.

Would it not be better to creat some type of carehome/school, where they would liv. The staff could easily be paid for by the savings on the taxis, and it would cut congestion too!!!!


2

Yonthing!,

15/10/2008 15:43:30
More sloppy sensationalist journalism from the Hootsmon. Do a proper job you lazy journalist and investigate properly.

As the Council commented, "This is the most economical way to transport small numbers to school."

How many journeys were made, and how many passengers would this cover? Was this question asked ?

Assuming a fare of £20 a trip, this is 37,500 journeys a year, or 196 a day if you assume 260 school days a year (52 weeks / 7 days * 5 working days), or 98 return trips.

#1 - just how many care home places do you think £750,000 would provide? Less than 10! I bet there was far more than 10 passengers a day.
3

James (1),

15/10/2008 16:06:42
Can the parent not take the child to school? Sorry I just realised that would mean the parent actually getting up out of bed.
Could they not share their taxi with councillors?
Then we would have both spongers in the same vehicle.
4

AD in sunny Livingston,

15/10/2008 17:11:28
#4 How negative, insensitive and arogant are you?

Have you thought that perhaps the parents may have other children at different schools? Or the fact that the parents may actually WORK??

Taxis are not sent for one pupil at a time. Well, they certainly aren't here - they make the most of their journeys and pick up 5 or so children en route to the schools.

To me this is a much more efficient use of funds - plus it's saving the environment and freeing up the roads by having one taxi transport (say) 5 pupils to school, rather than having 5 different families make the same journey in separate cars.

5

allknowing,

15/10/2008 18:56:26
"4 How negative, insensitive and arogant are you?

Have you thought that perhaps the parents may have other children at different schools? Or the fact that the parents may actually WORK"


You mean like all the other hard working parents who happen to have normal kids.

~4 is right, parents should be doing this, thats their job, scroungers again.
6

AD in sunny Livingston,

16/10/2008 10:28:50
#6 so you'd rather have more traffic on the roads, more pollution and more people on benefit all because you disagree with the taxis transporting these children?

Having a child with special needs can be tough. Really tough.

I'm lucky enough to have healthy children but I do know families who have special needs kids and their lives are really hard. It puts strain on the parents' health, relationships, the entire family in fact. And don't think for a minute that these people don't wish that their children were healthy and "normal" and they could live "normal" lives but they can't. They've been dealt their deal and they get on with it. They're certainly much better people than you'll ever be. I certainly don't grudge them that one small break that is the taxi to take the kids to school.

allknowing you're obviously not.
7

allknowing,

16/10/2008 12:05:32
Well i do. These kids are the parents responsibilty, not mine or the council.

Whats the difference between driving your normal kid to school and a 'special needs' kid??

I would say 90% of these kids could quite easily get a bus to school, or car. Nowadays anyone with behavioural issues (bad parenting) or a slight gimp is now a 'special needs' child.
8

Mr Crisps,

Musselburgh 16/10/2008 12:41:00
'allknowing' - stop embarrassing yourself.

"If they want to be treated as equals" - no they don't, they've got enough problems in life without removing what little support the state give them.

"Create a carehome/school" - so a new building, covering a huge range of different disabilities/special needs, plus all the running costs including staff - this is paid for by less then 3/4 million a year?

"scroungers" - this beggars belief. The extra costs incurred by parents of children with any sort of special need more than outweigh any state help they get. Add on the restrictions to work options that many parents face because of their situation and it's little wonder they need some help. These people pay taxes etc too you know, and are entitled to access the help the state offers.

"Whats the difference between driving your normal kid to school and a 'special needs' kid??" - you don't answer this, but go on to say 90% could travel by normal means. Don't make up stuff to justify your absurd comments.

If you have a chip on your shoulder about the less fortunate in society getting assistance that's your problem. People like you are selfish and uncaring, just as well there are more 'normal' people in society who show human compassion and understanding.
9

Pond Hall,

east lothian 16/10/2008 12:56:45
Allknowing

have you ever seen some of the people that are transported,

yes there some that you would question ....

but have seen one person that goes off to the local school, who is in a powered wheelchair - NOT FROM CHOICE and requires a ramped vehicle...

so check your facts, I'm quiete sure they'd swap their chair for your legs.

And I think you'll find that the parents pay their taxes

It's the other 20%, you'd question, particlularly the ones that are NOT Special Needs or vulnerable children.

The ones, were they are taxied for religious reasons and dont go to their LOCAL school ... why should they get a paid taxi to pay for their school transport?

particularly when others walk !
10

IainT,

Prestonpans 16/10/2008 12:59:50
#9 - Very well said. My work has taken me into the schools where these children are educated (and very well looked after by caring staff). This isn't about kids with "normal" behavioural problems - these are children with very serious and debilitating illnesses, who deserve all the help society can give them to obtain even the smallest amount of quality of life.

Picking on them for getting taxi rides to school is quite simply despicable.
11

florence f,

Edinburgh 17/10/2008 17:42:29
Why can't parents take them? Because, Mr knowitall, most special schools have a huge catchment area, ie all the kids with a particular condition go to ONE school no matter how far from it they live. So even in the city of Edinburgh a child may be travelling 10 miles to school, and in east and West Lothian it may well be further. And no, they are not badly-behaved toerags, and they don't have 'a slight limp' which is what I presume you meant to say. They have conditions like severe learning disabilities, severe autism (the kind where an adult MAY eventually learn to speak like a 3-year-old, if you're lucky), severe cerebral palsy, microcephaly, you name it. If a kid is capable of walking to school or catching a bus by themselves, they don't go to a special school. Everyone who doesn't have a kid with a severe disability should be down on their knees thanking God they don't have to give up the rest of their life for their child's sake, like those of us who do have such a child will have to. And you grudge such children the opportunity to go to a school suited to their needs. As 11 says, you are despicable.
12

florence f,

Edinburgh 17/10/2008 20:04:25
And, I forgot to say, if a child is ALLOCATED to a school more than 3 miles from where they live - that is, placed there by the council as opposed to their parents asking for them to go there, which is a whole other kettle of fish - then it is the law that they get free transport there and back. This is nothing to do with special needs, though in practice in most areas it disproportionately affects pupils at special schools for the reason I gave in 12.
13

,

22/10/2008 18:29:47
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
14

taxidriver,

taxi 18/11/2008 19:01:57
#14 not one of mr c's biggest fans then lol.all taxi contracts for school travel go out to tender lowest tender wins simple as that.no brown envelopes or wee bribes need to be had.i'm not defending ac's far from it i'm a driver who cut my teeth with then 22 years ago and i know all about his ways and means but since the alledged corruption case against big davie and mr whiteman fi the council went t@ts up the council has to follow due process.undr freedom of information u can ask and get a list of routes and tenders that were submitted.
#8 go back to smoking crack what u know about disabled kids and taxis isny worth writing about. its money well spent instead of spending it on hairbrain ideas the elc usually do and its still cheaper than the race course
15

,

29/11/2008 04:47:41
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
16

Jimbo doin' limbo,

Nearby 01/12/2008 19:29:42
#8 These kids are the parents responsibilty, not mine or the council.

Indeed - so why are they going to a taxpayer-funded school? Education is the parents' responsibility, not yours or the Council's.

 

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