A Welsh council has made broad cuts to its school transport provision – with some only affecting children taught in English.
Bridgend County Borough Council has removed the offer of free transport for children and young people attending English-language nurseries and sixth forms.
It has maintained the offer for pre-schoolers and sixth form students who receive a Welsh-medium or faith-based education.
The local authority also removed altogether the free transport offer for primary and secondary school aged children, unless their route to school exceeds statutory distances.
Bridgend council said: ‘This new policy supports and promotes the Welsh language, supports faith-based education and ensures that further budget efficiencies are available at a time of significant financial and operational pressure on public services.’
It said the cuts would save £1m a year from 2026-27, and that continuing to provide transport not supported by national policy would significantly impact its ability to sustain other services.
The Welsh Government, which aims for there to be a million Welsh speakers by 2050, has set the council a target of increasing learners taught in Welsh from 8% to 14-18% by 2032.
Bridgend said it hoped removing transport to English-medium nurseries would see parents committing early to an Welsh-language education for their children.
This article first appeared on localgov.co.uk.
