Edinburgh pupils fight council plans to scrap school bus routes in face of £1.3 million overspend
The proposed changes to combat the £1.3 million overspend on school transport are currently paused until “a way forward can be agreed”
Students at an Edinburgh high school are urging the council to reconsider proposed cuts to school bus services, warning they could deepen educational inequalities.
More than 650 people have signed a petition by head pupils at St Augustine's in South Gyle over fears that the over 200 students who rely on the buses would be forced to find alternative ways to travel to the catholic school.
For students like Uleye Sule who cannot simply walk to school, she and her fellow head pupil Rubi Odiony described the council-provided buses as a “necessity” not a “convenience”.
Miss Sule said: “The school buses have just always been there so to just say they're going to take them away suddenly is quite a shock.
“I take the school buses and if I had to take more than two buses to get to school, even with my Young Scot, I would be late all the time. Attendance would one hundred per cent drop throughout the school.”
The proposed changes, which are currently paused, are part of a phased review of private coach hire routes by the City of Edinburgh Council to combat a yearly overspend on school transport costs.
Council officers project the overspend will reach nearly £1.3 million in the 2026/27 school year if the changes are not implemented.
Cllr James Dalgleish, convenor for education, children and families said: “I can completely understand the concern around proposed changes to school travel.
“I am also aware of the impact of the potential changes to schools transport as they stand, that is why we have paused any changes for now so that a way forward can be agreed by Committee members in consultation with the effected communities, and so that the implications of any changes can be fully considered and appropriate changes can be made post consultation.”
A review published last month evaluated 30 school walking route assessments that had previously been deemed unsafe at five schools where costs were the highest.
St Augustine’s, where bus provision costs the council £414,618 each year, six out of the seven routes were now ruled walkable at an annual saving of £355,387
Students at Balerno Community High School, Currie High School, Holy Rood RC High School and Queensferry High School would also be affected by the changes, which would shave nearly £1 million from the school transport budget.
However, Miss Odiony said the Catholic school’s expansive area means pupils travel from across Edinburgh to access their education meaning the cuts could place undue burden on families who may already be struggling.
Miss Sule added: “It would put a lot of pressure on the local community and especially Lothian Buses. There’s two bus stops and the one at the back is horrible. It's over-packed.
“After school there’s about 100 to 150 odd students out there. Just imagine it without the school buses.”
Council officers sought advice from Lothian buses as part of the review and were told there was not sufficient capacity on the existing transport network to accommodate the whole projected additional demand.
The 17-year-old head pupils called on the council to abandon the plans and instead work to find a more “sustainable” solution.
Their petition read: “It is essential to preserve the accessibility of education for all students, no matter their background or circumstances. Together, we can send a strong message: protect our school buses, protect our right to education.”