School transport Taxi map will help parents of disabled children

An overhaul of a service getting disabled children from Bristol to school will include a new taxi map to help parents.

- Alex SEABROOK Local democracy reporter

Taxis and minivans will be tracked via an online platform so parents can tell if a driver is on the way and stuck in traffic, if they don’t turn up on time to pick their child up.

Bristol City Council spends millions of pounds a year on getting children to school with taxis and new electric minivans. Costs and demand are both rising, leading to council bosses trying to innovate with new ways to improve the home-to-school transport service and save money too.

Councillors on the children and young people policy committee voted to approve an extra £523,000 to be spent on improving home-toschool transport, in the second phase of the project. By law, the council must provide transport for some children getting to school, the number of which has been rising steadily in recent years.

Often, taxis drive children far away from Bristol to specialist schools, charging the council high fees to do so. Recently, the council rolled out a fleet of electric minivans and hired drivers and escorts to help get children to school instead, both cutting costs and providing a better service.