DORSET COUNCIL UNDER FIRE OVER STAGGERING £185 MILLION SCHOOL TAXI BILL

Dorset Council is facing serious questions over its massive £18.5 million annual budget used to transport children with additional needs to and from school.

Shocking new figures reveal that school transport costs for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pupils have rocketed by roughly 77 per cent over the last four years, up from just over £10 million. The council's spending has seen individual transport firms net enormous sums, with one company pocketing over £1.7 million and two others taking home more than £1.2 million in a single year.

Former Shaftesbury town councillor, Karen Tippins, is now demanding answers after launching a Freedom of Information request, questioning whether the council has properly scrutinised these rising figures.

The data reveals that the council operates over 1,030 SEND transport routes, 362 of which are single-occupancy. While traditional SEND transport costs taxpayers an average of £16,372 per pupil annually, the highest cost for a single route reached a staggering £75,710.

Previous attempts by the council to cut costs by introducing shared pick-up points and streamlining routes faced heavy push-back from parents who preferred the individual taxi services.

Ms Tippins highlighted a massive gap between these taxi costs and Personal Travel Budgets, which allow families to arrange their own travel. "What struck me most is not the £18.5 million annual cost, but the contrast between traditional transport costs and Personal Travel Budgets," Ms Tippins said, noting that these personal budgets average just £5,273 per pupil.

She argues that taxpayers deserve answers regarding the steep rise in spending. "SEND pupils must receive appropriate support, but when transport expenditure has increased by around 77% in four years, taxpayers are entitled to understand what is driving those costs and what options are being considered to manage them."

In response, Dorset Council defended its record, stating that its SEND Travel Reviewing Team has already achieved "significant savings and cost avoidance" and that councillors have frequently debated the issue.

Council data shows the local authority saved or avoided over £620,000 in the 2024/2025 academic year, alongside another £430,000 saved or avoided so far for 2025/2026.

However, it was also revealed that a key September 2025 council report regarding SEND transport was hidden from the public and discussed as an exempt item due to the confidential financial information it contained.

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