LLŶR POWELL MS has written to the Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, requesting an urgent meeting on the planned withdrawal of free school transport on nine routes from September 2026
The changes which will affect around 340 pupils, eight of the nine reclassified routes falling within the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency.
Mr Powell said: “Parents and carers understandably feel let down by the council.
“Having abandoned plans to raise the minimum qualifying distance last year, much the same outcome is being achieved by reclassifying these nine routes as ‘safe’.
“And on the same evidence the council itself reached the opposite conclusion on only six months ago.”
Mr Powell highlighted specific safety concerns raised by constituents on routes now deemed safe to walk, including a 1hr 20mins round trip in Abertridwr along 40mph roads with insufficient pavement, and a 2hr round trip for Heolddu Comprehensive pupils as young as eleven in Aberbargoed, across busy main roads and up steep hills.
He continued: “Children’s safety must come before savings, particularly for a council with reserves of over £169 million.
“Independent assessments identified safety improvements required on these routes. If these are the same nine routes now considered safe, families are entitled to see clear evidence that the works have been done.”
He also questioned the absence of public consultation or any published projected saving for the changes, in contrast to last year’s proposals which were costed publicly and subject to independent safety assessment.
He added: “No saving has been published, no consultation has taken place, and parents have told the South Wales Argus they have seen no evidence of mitigation works on at least one of the routes in question. Residents are entitled to the same transparency they were afforded last year.”
Mr Powell acknowledged that Caerphilly is one of the few Welsh local authorities to provide school transport above the statutory minimum, but said the manner of the changes had caused significant concern across the constituency.
Mr Powell confirmed he intends to raise the matter with the incoming Cabinet Secretary for Education once the new Welsh Government is formed.
