Mum slams council over 'sham' consultation on changes to free school transport for North Lanarkshire children

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An angry mum has again hit out over proposals to reduce mileage limits for free school transport in North Lanarkshire despite strong opposition from parents.Kerry Anne Ferrie’s six-year-old son Sean attends Cathedral Primary, which is 1.6 miles walking distance from his home.Earlier this year, as a way of saving £3.6million, North Lanarkshire Council agreed to change qualifying mileage limits for free school transport from one mile to two miles for primary, and two to three miles for secondary school pupils.Sean, and over 400 other children at schools in Wishaw and Motherwell, would no longer qualify.

Accompanying him on his daily walk to school would take up two-and-a-half hours of Kerry Anne’s day.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android In a bid to have the council scrap the plans, Sean recorded a video of what his challenging daily walking route would entail if the proposals are given the go-ahead.It shows him set off from home and negotiating several busy and congested roads, speeding traffic, and a number of crossings.Kerry Anne would have to walk the route there and back twice daily which would take her around two-and-a-half hours, five times a week.Kate Anderson, whose son attends St Brendan’s Primary in Netherton – around 1.5 miles from their home, also recorded a similar video highlighting his