Fears school bus services face the axe

SCHOOLCHILDREN could be forced on to public buses instead of having school transport.

Fears have been raised in West Lothian following a meeting to discuss possible cuts in the council's development and transport department.

West Lothian Council is proposing to chop more than 2 million from this budget as part of its planned 45m cuts over the next four years. Proposals by council officers to withdraw non-statutory school transport for children have been discussed.

Currently, the council provides free transport to primary pupils who live one-and-a-half miles or more from their catchment school and secondary pupils who live two miles or more from their catchment school.

The distances could now be changed to the Scottish Government's statutory requirement of two miles for children aged under eight and three miles for those over eight.

The proposals, which would save 152,000, affect 900 children and would mean school bus services could be scrapped.