Education Authority ‘reviewing transport provision’ in bid to cut taxi costs

School transport provision in Northern Ireland is being reviewed after it emerged that up to £83 per mile is being paid to taxi firms who provide services such as transporting children to school.

Information obtained by the Press Association last month also revealed that more than £20 million was paid out to five taxi operators in Northern Ireland by the Education Authority (EA) in the last financial year.

It comes as the EA, which delivers school services in Northern Ireland, examines savings measures to plug a £300 million shortfall in its budget.

This has included renegotiating payments to taxi operators who provide services such as transporting some children to school.

The EA recently wrote to operators, asking them to reduce their rates by 10%.

The bill has doubled in recent years, attributable in part to a sharp rise in the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) who are taken to school by taxi.

Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan was asked about the costs during questions for his department at the Assembly on Monday.

He told MLAs almost 95,000 pupils in Northern Ireland were in receipt of some form of transport assistance, and said the scheme was the “most generous of any in the United Kingdom”, accounting for £140 million in the 2024/25 financial year.

He said that the EA was reviewing its school transport provision to identify any options to reduce costs, and officials from his department were actively supporting this work.

“Equality issues are being carefully considered to understand the potential impact of any proposals, and further consultation may be needed before options are finalised,” he said.

“I fully recognise that some children have significant needs, and I do not underestimate how challenging it is to meet those needs, whilst also ensuring that costs remain reasonable and sustainable.

“Every child with a statement of SEN has their needs identified in the EA statutory assessment and review process.

“If additional transport needs are identified during a child’s assessment, transport assistance must be arranged through the most suitable means available, ensuring this provision is compatible with the efficient use of resources.

“However, it can be challenging to meet each child’s needs whilst also managing costs responsibly.”

UUP MLA Robbie Butler, who asked the Assembly Question, said access to education was a fundamental human right, but added that value for money was also important.

He suggested other options, citing the example of Lagan Valley Rural Transport.

Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker pressed Mr Givan for a guarantee that no child would miss a day at school during the review.

Mr Givan said there was ongoing engagement between the EA and taxi operators, adding that to date no contracts had been returned.

“Obviously provision needs to be there to provide transport – were a contract to be returned, then that would need to be tendered and an opportunity for that to be replaced,” he said.

“I certainly wouldn’t want there to be a gap in the provision in those circumstances.”

Mr Givan also said that the rate for taxis was set out in legislation, and was revised in 2023 to take account of rising fuel costs.

But he said there were contracts where that rate was “significantly higher”.

“When I look at some of the rationale for that, into determining a fare for a school run, taxi operators will need to take account of multiple stops, non-continuous runs, and significant repositioning of what is called ‘dead miles’, whenever there are no passengers,” he said.

“It is not a straight like-for-like comparison to be able to compare transportation of children, especially with special needs, to a normal taxi fare when you call up a taxi to get from A to B.

“EA are carrying out this exercise to ensure that there is effective use of public resources when it comes to the funding.”