Parents can now lodge an appeal if their children are refused free school transport in Angus.
An appeal can be made on road safety grounds or parents can request a physical re-measuring of the travel route if denied on the grounds of distance.
It is part of changes to Angus Council’s school to home transport policy which has been revised and approved by the children and learning committee.
Mark Armstrong, strategic director of people, said: “We are continually ensuring the systems we have in place are the most efficient and effective and the safety of our young people is absolutely paramount in that.
“I’m pleased to bring forward the revised transport policy which has been enhanced to address issues that have been raised in relation to the need for an appeals process.
“I would advise that the policy in this revised form is entirely appropriate for ensuring the continued safe transport of approximately 3,000 children every day across the county.”
Education authorities must provide transport, or help with the cost of transport, if they consider it necessary to help children get to school.
In general, they make free travel available to pupils who live outwith the statutory walking distance, defined as being two miles for any pupil under eight years of age and three miles for any other pupil.
Those distances relate to school attendance issues and are used to determine what would constitute a legitimate reason for not sending a child to school.
Children and young people with additional support needs or severe mobility problems are considered for free transport on an individual basis.
Arbroath East and Lunan Independent councillor Lois Speed, who is a mother and carer for two adults who are power wheelchair users, said she could not have imagined life without school to home transport in the past 10 years.
“For the past 10 years my children have received school transport and I couldn’t have imagined life without having had that valuable service,” she said.
“I know how important it is for parents of children with additional support needs where morning pressures can be very demanding especially if you have had a sleepless night.”
The cost of transport for pupils in Angus was £3.1m in 2014/15 and £3m in 2015/16 and the council provides free transport for 2,317 pupils.
In Dundee the cost for 1,071 pupils was £2.1m in 2014/15 and £2.1m in 2015/16; in Perth and Kinross the cost for approximately 4,000 pupils was £6.3m in 2014/15 and £6.5m in 2015/16.
In Fife, around 11,500 pupils qualify for free transport with a £3.9m taxi and minibus bill in 2014/15 which went up to £4m in 2015/16.
