More than £600,000 has been saved by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s transport department in the past year, as part of its transport change programme (TCP).

A report found that, in the first year of the scheme, the council aimed to save £451,000 but managed to make enough cutbacks to raise the figure to £622,000.

The changes made to the budget affect adult day care transport, bin wagons, school buses and taxis for children with special educational needs.

By freezing overtime and recruitment, reducing servicing of vehicles and renegotiating tenders, TCP regional director, Jim Aspin, believes the quality of services has been maintained. He said: ‘Despite fewer people working fewer hours, provision to the borough has not been affected.’

A £236,000 saving was made in the adult services department by removing 90% of expensive taxi contracts, fuel duty rebates and returning vehicles from day centres. In children’s services there was a full re-tendering of taxis used for transporting 375 children with special needs.

The TCP hopes to achieve between £2.3M and £2.8M gross financial improvements over a three-year partnership with consultant, Northgate Kendric Ash.