Axe falls on transport for vulnerable

On Tuesday, cash-strapped Derbyshire County Council agreed to introduce a £349 charge for sixth form pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities where transport is arranged by the authority.

In addition, young adults aged 19 to 25 with a learning disability assessment will be charged £349 a year for transport if they start their course before their 19th birthday. For those over 19 when starting their course, free travel will only be given where the council deems it necessary. The changes, which come into effect in September, will help the council save £150,000 a year. The council needs to save £157m over the next four years as a result of Government cuts. Councillor Kevin Gillott, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The sheer scale of the cuts means we have to make some very difficult decisions.”