Councils in England call for ‘radical’ means testing of Send school transport

Demand is rising at unsustainable rate and could cost 3.4bn by 2030-31, local authorities warn

Families who have children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) should be means tested for school transport, according to councils in England, who say demand is rising at an unsustainable rate".

Local authorities are urging the government to be radical" in its Send reforms, which are expected imminently, warning that annual costs on home-to-school transport for children with Send could rise to 3.4bn by 2030-31, up from 2bn last year.