Issue - meetings

19/00017 - Post 16 Transport Policy 2019-20

 

 

Meeting: 07/05/2019 - Children's, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee (Item 102)

102 19/00017 - Post 16 Transport Policy Statement 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 81 KB

To receive a report which sets out the proposed decision to agree that the Kent Post-16 Transport Policy Statement be published by 31 May 2019.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mr Bagshaw (Head of Fair Access) wasin attendance for this item.

 

1.         Mr Bagshaw introduced the report which set out the Post 16 Transport Policy for 2019-20.

 

Mr Bagshaw then responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

 

a)    Mr Bagshaw talked about the costs associated with the 16+ travel card and said that whilst a full charge was applied by the local authority, schools and colleges in receipt of bursary funding were able to apply that funding for low-income learners.

 

b)    Mr Bagshaw said that instalment plans would be introduced for the 2019/20 academic year which would alleviate the pressure felt by low-income families when purchasing a 16+ travel card. He explained the introduction of on-line purchasing had made the process more straightforward for the majority of users, although some larger college institutions in Kent had found it difficult to make payments in relation to the 16+ travel card scheme for their bursary learners.

 

c)    Mr Bagshaw confirmed that he could provide more information to Members of the Committee outside of the meeting in relation to the potential impact of amending the scheme to one with reduced travel benefits at a discounted price.

 

d)    Mr Bagshaw confirmed that an item could be brought to a future meeting of the Committee to discuss outcomes of communications between Kent County Council and rail operators with a view to discounted rail travel in the future.

 

e)    Mr Bagshaw confirmed that he could provide more information to Members of the Committee outside of the meeting in relation to the amount of SEND children that had benefited from the 16+ travel card and the amount of SEND children that were in receipt of education, outside of mainstream colleges.

 

2.         RESOLVED that the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to agree to the Kent Post-16 Transport Policy Statement to be published by 31 May 2019, be endorsed.