Contact research reveals unfairness of school transport at 16

4 mins read

Monday 2 June 2025

Tags: School transport matters, school transport post 16 year olds

Contact’s research published today reveals that almost 60% of disabled teenagers face changes to their school transport arrangements when they turn 16 with one in seven losing it altogether – jeopardising their ability to continue at school or college.

Despite a legal requirement for disabled young people to be in education or training up to the age of 18, guidance leaves transport for 16–18-year-olds to the discretion of the local authority. That’s why Contact is calling for the government to close this loophole, rather than leaving transport to a postcode lottery. Other findings from our Transport Matters research include:

  • When a young person turns 16, 20% are charged for transport to school or college – £774 is the average cost.
  • 40% of parents had to reduce hours or give up work to transport their child themselves.
  • Families with disabled children value council-provided school transport (81% are satisfied or very satisfied) saying it promotes their child’s independence (58%) and helps them to work (50%).

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey.

You can read our research findings in full here.

Parent carers bring research to Parliament

Contacts research will be discussed later today at a Parliamentary event hosted by Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, who has a daughter with a disability. Thank you to everyone who emailed their MP about the event. At the meeting MPs will also hear from families affected by cuts to school transport for post 16-year-olds.

One parent who’ll be attending, Ramandeep Kaur, said: “My son Harry has Down Syndrome and is 17-years-old. He used to get the school bus until last year when it was taken away and he was given a personal travel budget instead. Now he must watch the school bus go past our house every day without stopping. He instead gets a taxi to school, which we are funding at a cost of £230 per week.

“The school day is very short so I have to restrict my working hours and turn down jobs as it is, so we have taken the financial hit to transport him in a taxi. It’s a big financial hit and every penny I earn now goes on bills and taxis, and we have to limit what we do. It’s ludicrous that the school bus goes past our house every day. We are lucky that Harry is adaptable and we have found an excellent taxi driver who has built a rapport with him. Lots of young disabled people wouldn’t have been able to cope with the change. I’ve heard of other families who have had to ask 80-year-old grandparents to step in to transport their teenager and others whose child is no longer at school or college. I think it’s very irresponsible and short sighted of the council.”

Previously more councils funded transport for this age group, recognising they faced disadvantages such as not being able to use public transport or travelling further to school or college. But as budgets have come under increasing pressure, more are looking to cut costs.

Close the loophole on the law

Contact’s CEO, Anna Bird says: “13,500 disabled young people lose their school transport when they turn 16. They are legally required to be at school or college until they are 18, and many continue going to the same building. But suddenly they have no way of getting there. School and college leaders are reporting that this is affecting the attendance rates of young disabled people.

“Many disabled students cannot travel independently and cannot use public transport, meaning they are reliant on transport and cannot benefit from concessionary fares for public transport like their non-disabled peers. That’s why we are calling for the government to close this loophole.”

Many thanks to the Motability Foundation for funding Contact’s School Transport Matters research and to everyone who completed the survey.

Find out more

Find out more about our School Transport campaign.
Read our information and advice about school and college transport.

Read our School Transport Matters research.