Subscribe to trusted local news
If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
04
Jun
Parents' pray for change as Parliament prepares to debate school transport fees
Action groups and parents are hoping a parliamentary debate today (June 4) will lead to a reversal of a controversial new home-to-school transport that has cost some parents thousands of pounds.
New rules introduced by North Yorkshire Council last year mean free school transport is now only available to a child’s nearest school, rather than any school in the child's catchment area.
A vote to overturn the policy was rejected by councillors by 45 to 35 votes at an extraordinary meeting of the Conservative-controlled council.
Campaigners hope today's Westminster Hall debate on home-to-school transport, secured by Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat Harrogate and Knaresborough, could increase pressure on the council to reconsider the new policy.
Mr Gordon said:
I have secured this debate because too many families across Harrogate and Knaresborough, and more widely across North Yorkshire, are being affected by changes to home to school transport arrangements. I hope colleagues from across North Yorkshire will attend and contribute constructively to the discussion, so that the full impact of these changes can be properly understood.
The School Transport Action Group, which was set up after the new policy was announced, has over 1,000 members.
Its head, Jo Foster, told the Stray Ferret she was "absolutely delighted" about today's debate, adding:
I think if it was up to the council, they would like school transport never to be mentioned again, quite frankly.
I have to say, when you look at the collection of MPs for North Yorkshire, by far the most proactive has been Tom Gordon, which we are extremely pleased about.
So yes we’re absolutely thrilled, in fact, when this whole thing kicked off, back in 2025, the very first thing that happened was a petition, and Tom Gordon met with some members of STAG when we went to Westminster, and he helped deliver the petition to the Department for Education.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council if it had any plans to re-visit the matter in light of today's debate. However, we have not received a response.
£1,692 bill
The Stray Ferret spoke to Rebecca Owen, whose daughter Martha started at Ripon Grammar School (RGS) last September.
They live 3.966 miles from RGS but 3.929 miles from Outwood Academy.
The less than 60-metre difference is enough to mean she is ineligible for a free bus pass, despite her older brother also attending RGS and has gotten the bus for free this year.
Asked about how the council communicated the change, Ms Owen said:
It makes me feel angry because it’s such a huge policy change and they didn’t spell out these changes in a clear way at all.
Ms Owen paid £846 this year for her daughter to get the bus three-times a week to Ripon Grammar School. As her son is now going into sixth form she will have to start paying for his bus pass as well.
This means for her children to be able to travel to Ripon Grammar School, Ms Owen will have to pay £1,692 for two bus passes.
Asked about the parliamentary debate, she said:
It's absolutely needed, this issue needs to be brought back into the spotlight and be looked at again, just for everyone to see how crazy it is what the council have done.
0