North Lanarkshire to keep primary bus routes in 2025

Currently, families living at least one mile from their primary school qualify for council transportation, which will remain the case.

The council had previously planned to limit transportation qualifications to match the legal maximum, meaning that from August 2025, only families living more than two miles from their primary school would qualify.

In his statement, Councillor Logue said that he would propose a motion to formalise the decision "at the earliest possible opportunity."

“Despite the dire financial circumstances faced by all councils, we have been able to find a
financially balanced way to keep our current primary school limits. I’m glad we are able to
do so.

"It means North Lanarkshire’s free primary school transport will be at a level more
generous than almost every other council in Scotland.

"We know that this will come as a relief to parents, and it was important to us to try to find a
solution for the youngest school pupils. I will be moving the required motion to formalise our
decision at the earliest possible opportunity and I would urge all political parties to unite
behind it for the benefit of all young people."

A council spokesperson said that the council will need to agree the decision once the motion is submitted, likely at a full council meeting.

"We note the announcement from the Council Leader. The Council will have to vote on this matter in due course."

The announcement comes after months of protest from parents, who felt similar changes to secondary school provision forced students to walk long, unsafe routes to school. 

Since the council moved ahead with secondary school bus cuts to start the 2024 school year, parents reported accidents along school routes, confusion on overcrowded public buses, and concerns that parent voices were not being considered.

A welcome decision, but more work to do

Lorraine Kerr, chair of the Stepps Primary Parent Council, said that Tuesday's announcement marks a win for longtime campaigners but that there is still work to do to ensure the safety of secondary school students.

“This is a wonderful decision, and we are delighted that the council has seen sense and found the budget to maintain the current mileage limits for primary school pupils. This will be a huge relief for hundreds of families across North Lanarkshire.

"However, we must not forget the ongoing issues for our secondary school children, where the mileage limit has been increased to three miles.

"We have already seen the negative impacts of this change on our children’s health, wellbeing, and even their ability to get to school on time.

"We strongly urge the council to extend this sensible and welcome approach to secondary school transport and reverse the changes for older children as well. With winter now upon us, this issue is more urgent than ever.

"Ensuring accessible school transport for all children should remain a priority.”

Read more

• I walked the school route that a council claims is safe – here’s what I found

• North Lanarkshire to review school transport policy

• Council group presents 'excellent opportunity' to give parents meaningful voice

In announcing the decision to maintain primary transportation qualifications, Councillor Logue said it was made despite financial pressures on the council.

“We asked the SNP Government on numerous occasions to either change the legal limits or
provide funding to keep North Lanarkshire’s limits as they are, but this plea fell on deaf ears.

“Despite the dire financial circumstances faced by all councils, we have been able to find a
financially balanced way to keep our current primary school limits. I’m glad we are able to
do so.

"It means North Lanarkshire’s free primary school transport will be at a level more
generous than almost every other council in Scotland.

"We know that this will come as a relief to parents, and it was important to us to try to find a
solution for the youngest school pupils. I will be moving the required motion to formalise our
decision at the earliest possible opportunity and I would urge all political parties to unite
behind it for the benefit of all young people.

“The SNP Government has to now consider how it funds councils, especially since they have
received an additional £3.4 billion as a result of the recent Autumn Statement. I would
certainly urge them to do so."

North Lanarkshire Council has been considering limiting qualification for school transportation for more than a year. (Image: Colin Mearns)

Read more

• Student injured on school run reignites calls to reverse school bus cuts

• Fresh concerns over school walking route declared safe by Scottish council

• Parents say 'local democracy isn't working' in Scotland

'Families need solutions, not point-scoring'

Local parent and campaigner Diane Delaney welcomed the plans to reverse transportation changes, but said that there are still questions about the council's process.

"The attempt to frame [the decision] as party-political is both unnecessary and unhelpful.  If anything, the need for this reversal highlights how the original decision was so misguided from the start.

"After 18 months of concern and uncertainty for families, it’s ironic to now claim this as an example of listening.

"Effective leaders listen before the problems start, not after widespread pushback and campaigning from parents and children.  What they need to focus on is delivering good outcomes for the community and ensuring that these failures in terms of democracy, parent and child engagement never happens again.

"Families deserve solutions, not political point-scoring."

Early in October, North Lanarkshire Council approved a motion to establish a working group to examine the council's assessment criteria for walking routes.

Campaigners have been fighting bus changes for months. (Image: Colin Mearns)

Tracy Carragher, the leader of the council's SNP Group who initiated the motion to establish the working group, welcomed Tuesday's announcement but called it "disrespectful" not to be informed beforehand.

"Whilst delighted to hear that the Labour administration has finally seen sense, just like the previous (welcome) dramatic U-turn on Active and Creative Communities, it is very disrespectful to make this announcement via the press. 

"This Labour administration could have supported the many fully costed options presented by the SNP group at Committee and Full Council over the last few years, but they chose not to and in turn allowed parents and guardians to worry for so long.

"Questions will have to be asked about why this Labour administration continues to disrespect the protocol set out within North Lanarkshire Council’s Standing Orders.

"Notwithstanding this, the SNP Group and indeed the parents and guardians of the children who would have been impacted by any change to the qualifying mileage criteria are delighted that the Labour administration has at long last seen sense."

She said that the member and officer working group will continue to investigate the council's assessment policies and present its findings and any recommended changes to the Education and Families Committee in February.