Transport Policy Statement 2012/13
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Local Authority (LA) Transport Policy Statement 2014/15 Transport Policy Statement for learners aged 16-18 in further education and training, and continuing learners aged 19 and over Name of Local Authority: Somerset County Council Department Responsible: Transporting Somerset 1. Summary of Policy Statement and Main Objectives Somerset County Council, through a range of partnership activities, seek to maximise opportunities to increase concessionary travel to young people participating in education and training aged 14 –19 years and continuing learners aged 19+ years across the County. Somerset County Council in consultation with stakeholders and other partnerships work together to ensure that the individual needs of young people are paramount whilst balancing equality of access to education and training opportunities with value for money by :- • Developing a collective strategy relating to post 14 school/college transport within the context of Government, EFA (Education Funding Agency) and Somerset County Council transport strategies • Building on the review of post 16 education and training in Somerset and mapping of existing and predicted travel to learn patterns, assessing the extent to which participation, retention and achievement rates are affected by travel issues. • Identifying gaps in transport provision and filling those gaps to improve accessibility to education and to maximise choice of learning venue. • Ensuring that transport issues impacting on learners of all ages are reflected in the Somerset Future Transport Plan and the Somerset Accessibility Planning Strategy, including developing protocols for sharing information and contributing to the development and delivery of related Action Plans • Improving transport information for all young people and adult learners • Discussing priorities with local education and training providers • Focusing on improving transport for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities by providing specialised individual transport where needed or through the Somerset Independent Travel Training Scheme in order to increase the independence for this group of learners • Improving transport links in deeply rural areas by maintaining the provision of demand responsive transport schemes and by supporting other transport initiatives for young people to increase affordable access to learning for young people, improving their employment opportunities and reducing social exclusion • Ensuring transport provision removes barriers to learning and training for those from vulnerable groups and/or those most likely not to be in education, employment or training. 2. Details of all concessionary fares, discounts, subsidies, passes or travel cards available for learners aged 16–18 and who provides them. Somerset County Council - the Local Authority (LA) offer a student ‘County Ticket’ to enable young people to attend the learning/training centre of their choice provided applicants meet the Somerset County Council eligibility criteria of:- • Being over the statutory school leaving age of 16 on 01 September 2014. • Attending a course of further education or training compliant with legislation relating to the raising of the participation age A County Ticket will cost £650.00 per year. There is a direct debit option to enable students to spread the payment over the year. Petrol allowances are available at 18 pence per mile up to a limit of £135.00 per annum to allow young people living more than three miles from their nearest bus stop to gain access to and from the local bus network. Where space is available on the contracted School Transport fleet, students may also apply for a Student Contract Ticket which costs £473.30. Post 16 students attending Diploma courses, Foundation Learning and apprenticeships can access both college/school-based provision and work placements by using the County Ticket. Transport to academies will be on the same basis as for local authority schools with sixth forms (i.e. free pre 16 for those that qualify and County Ticket/Student Contract Ticket for post 16 students). Currently no form of means testing is applied to the County Ticket, Student Contract Ticket or petrol allowances given to students living more than 3 miles from a bus stop. Somerset County Council, in Partnership with Somerset College in Taunton, also provides subsidised fares on the Taunton Park & Ride bus service from sites at Silk Mills and Taunton Gateway which serve Somerset College. 2(a) Additional arrangements made by Colleges and Schools to support Transport provision and costs. Bridgwater College For the 2014/15 academic year students who live over 2 miles from their main centre of study will pay £360 for the County Ticket, (students who live within 2 miles will pay the full cost of £650). The Weston and North Somerset passes will be £330 and College operated services from Wiveliscombe, Castle Cary, Shepton Mallet and Yeovil will be £315. Students do not need to make an application for this subsidy as it will be applied automatically. In addition to this, students whose parents are on a low income or income based benefits may be eligible to apply for further help towards the cost of a bus pass via the Government’s 16 – 19 Bursary Fund. For further details please contact Bridgwater College by e-mail student [email protected] or call 01278 441233. Bridgwater College make additional arrangements for transport by providing an annual contribution of £140,706 to the Local Authority to assist in the funding of bus services serving the College. Bridgwater College also operate twice weekly inter site travel for students who have their main programmes at either site but have added A levels or Animal Management as enrichment. This inter site travel is at no cost to the students however and is paid for solely by the College Richard Huish College For the 2014/15 academic year Richard Huish College students living 3 miles and over, with a combined household income of less that £32,000 per annum, may be eligible to receive up to £300 towards the cost of the County Ticket through the College Bursary scheme. Non-bursary students purchasing a County Ticket will be awarded a travel grant of £100 towards the cost of the ticket. Somerset College For the 2014/15 academic year Somerset College will provide £300 towards the cost of a County Ticket for all students living over 5 miles from the College. In addition students whose parents household income is less than £25,000 will also be eligible for an additional £100 funding towards the County Ticket. Somerset College will also provide £100 towards transport costs for students living over 5 miles away or those students who live over 3 miles away within the TA2, TA3 and TA4 postcode areas. Students who live within the TA1 postcode area are eligible to apply to the cycle purchase scheme. Strode College For the 2014/15 academic year Strode College will provide all students with a Travel Bursary of £150 towards the cost of a County Ticket. In addition to this, all students with a family income below £26,000 will receive an additional Travel Bursary of £300 towards the cost of a County Ticket. These students will then also have the opportunity to apply for a further discretionary Bursary payment towards associated costs of attending College. Strode College also makes additional arrangements for transport by providing an annual contribution of £70,000 to assist in the funding of bus services servicing the College. Yeovil College For the 2014/15 academic year full time students whose parents are on income-based benefits or where the household income is less than £26,000 may apply for assistance from the 16-19 Bursary Fund. Where all the criteria are met the College will purchase the County Ticket and will contribute towards the cost of other items that may be required. Other full time students who live more than three miles from the College will be provided with a contribution of £150 towards the cost of either a County Ticket, or bus/rail season ticket. This amount will be paid after the October half term providing the student is still on the programme of study and has an attendance of at least 90%. 3. What times during the day can learners use their travel pass or obtain concessionary fares? The County Ticket entitles the holder to travel throughout Somerset and on cross border routes to and from Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset. Unless stated otherwise, students may use these flexible tickets to travel at any time of the day, evenings, on weekends and during vacations. Full details of operators providing unrestricted and restricted County Ticket services can be found on the application form. 4. Will support continue to be made available to learners who reach 19 whilst continuing on a course of Further Education? Yes 5. How will learners be assessed to see if they are eligible for support? Please refer to section 2 above for the general eligibility criteria. There is currently no means testing for assistance with travel costs and the student contribution to the cost of their ticket is the same for all. However, those suffering financial hardship or personal problems can access additional assistance through 16-19 Bursary (which is means tested) provided by Colleges and Schools with Sixth Forms and other Post 16 providers of Education and Training. Students who have recently left ‘care’ or who are living independently without parental support may be eligible to have their contribution to travel waived. 6. What help with transport is provided for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities including those over 19, or learners facing other difficulties in following their courses? The students who may benefit from extra help with transport include those whom the LA (Local Authority) deems have no way of receiving the education that they need without access to special transport facilities. In Somerset it has been decided that this should apply to young people who have special educational needs (learning difficulties) and/or a physical and/or mental disability and who cannot make their own way to the relevant education establishment.