Recent research has revealed that expenditure on school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England has nearly doubled in five years. Local authorities are expected to spend £1.4bn in 2023-24, up 95% from £728m in 2018-19, to fulfil their legal obligation to provide free transport for SEND students who can't walk to school.

The government has acknowledged the issue, committing £2.6bn towards creating special school places, which aims to reduce the need for long-distance travel and associated costs. However, council leaders point out that a spike in demand and more complex cases have escalated costs. Over 40% more children, totalling over 183,000, now require transport services, pushing the average annual cost per child from £6,280 to £8,299.

Surging transport costs for children with special educational needs (SEND) are straining council budgets, prompting considerations like means-testing to maintain system viability. High expenses, exemplified by Buckinghamshire’s daily £952 for two students' medical transport, underscore the financial challenges faced. The debate includes the need for closer special education provisions to cut travel costs. The Department for Education aims to mitigate these pressures by increasing special education placements, addressing both educational accessibility and financial sustainability for councils.