A new school transport policy for young people aged 16 and over with special educational needs has been agreed by Wiltshire Council’s cabinet.
Presenting the policy to a meeting of the Liberal Democrat-led cabinet on Wednesday 6th May, Cllr Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for children’s services, SEND and education and skills, admitted it was “a difficult and controversial item.”
The council is required by law to provide free home‑to‑school transport for eligible children of compulsory school age, but there is no equivalent legal obligation to provide transport for post‑16 learners, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
The council currently provides discretionary transport assistance to 431 post‑16 learners with an EHCP, at an annual cost of approximately £2.3 million.
The new policy will introduce “a shift away from the widespread use of designated taxi provision” towards independent travel support, access to public transport, or parent‑supported travel.
The change is expected to save the council £406,000 in 2026/27 and a further £292,000 in 2027/28.
But Cllr Hubbard said he wanted to be “absolutely clear” that the proposed change to the policy was not about financial savings.
He said every case would be treated on its own merit, adding, “Taxis and minibuses will remain available where they are needed.”
“The primary motivation is getting young people travel-ready,” he said.
“Independence is a skill for life. The ability to access public transport, to navigate a journey, to arrive at college or work under your own steam – these are things that open up employment, friendship, leisure, community, and adulthood itself.”
Outlining the financial pressure, he told councillors: “The current trend is one of growth pressure.
“We have 7,062 young people with EHCPs. The number of SEND young people on (funded) transport has risen from 1,924 in January 2024 to 2,327 in January 2026 – a 21 per cent increase.
“The number of post-16 learners on transport has gone from 338 to 431 over the same period. And 336 of those 431 are travelling by taxi.
“That growth is forecast to continue, while the taxi and minibus market in Wiltshire is actually shrinking. The trajectory is not sustainable on financial or operational grounds.”
He acknowledged that “public transport in parts of Wiltshire is infrequent, and for some young people will not be a viable option.”
And he pledged: “No young person currently partway through a two-year course will see any change at all.
“The revised policy applies only to young people with an EHCP entering post-16 education from Sept 2026 onwards.”
He said the consultation, to which 187 responses had been received, had raised concerns.
“Parents told us about rurality, about safety, about anxiety, about employment impacts.
“Those concerns are real, they are serious, and I want to assure parents we have heard them.”
Conservative group leader Cllr Richard Clewer, who’s own ‘alternative budget’ had proposed larger cuts to the service, said the policy was “broadly moving in the right direction.
“We are going to have to find ways to go further than this, and to avoid taxis wherever possible and use buses wherever appropriate,” he said.
And Cllr Ed Rimmer, leader of the council’s Reform UK group, said the policy was a “step in the right direction,” but suggested the problem was due to a “national overdiagnosis” of special needs.
“We have to do anything we can to reduce taxis,” he said.
“The problem I have with this is that the consultation is going to be mainly answered by people who use this provision, so effectively are beneficiaries of the current policy,
“And unsurprisingly, people who are beneficiaries of getting something paid for are hardly going to be keen on something not being paid for.
“But what I really care about is the taxpayer who has to pay for it. The man on the street is just not happy about the current situation, with the taxpayer having to pay for taxis to get young people to school.
“This is something we have to work very hard at, as a country, to very significantly reduce.
“We have to do what is right for children, but we have a huge problem, nationally, with overdiagnosis.”
Cllr Hubbard responded, “I would suggest that it is part of living in a modern society where we look after everybody who is part of that society.
“I’m genuinely proud that we have a system in Wiltshire where every child has an equal opportunity to receive an education, and I wouldn’t want to be part of a system that stripped that away.”
