Plaid Condemns Plans For PupilsTo Walk Along ‘Unsafe’ Routes To School

Plaid Cymru politicians have slammed controversial changes to home to school transport which, they warn, will lead to many children having to walk along unsafe roads.

Nine routes have been ruled safe by Caerphilly Council and around 340 learners in these areas will no longer qualify for free school transport after the end of the summer term with parents and carers told to make their own transport arrangements to ensure regular school attendance.

Councillor Charlotte Bishop, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly County Borough Council said that parents and councillors across Caerphilly were up in arms after controversial changes to school transport eligibility left children expected to walk routes which, they believe, are  dangerous and unfit for winter travel.

The changes announced by Caerphilly County Borough Council, tighten the criteria for free home-to-school transport by assessing whether a walking route is “available”—a definition many families say ignores real-world risks, said Councillor Charlotte Bishop.

“The route in question, used by pupils travelling through the Aber Valley, includes a 40mph stretch of road with limited pavement access and an alternative cycle path which is isolated and poorly lit.”

Under Welsh Government guidance, routes must be assessed not only on distance but on whether they are “reasonably safe” for children to walk. Factors such as traffic speed, lighting, pavement width and isolation should all be considered.

Local councillors have backed residents’ anger, warning the policy risks putting children in danger.

Councillor Charlotte Bishop said: “Residents are up in arms about this, and rightly so. A route being marked as ‘available’ on paper does not make it safe in reality.

“Parents are being forced into impossible choices—send their child along a route they believe is unsafe or risk their education being disrupted.

“Concerns have also been raised around the expectation that pupils rely on public transport as an alternative.

"Yes, public transport may exist on paper, but it is unreliable and not cost effective. It is not an efficient or dependable option for getting children to school safely each day.”

Councillor Charlotte Bishop added: “The council has stated that independent consultants carried out route safety reviews to ensure consistency across the borough.

“However, critics argue the assessments fail to account for seasonal conditions, particularly during winter when children may be walking in darkness.

Campaigners are now calling for greater transparency around how these decisions are made, including access to the risk assessments used.

“One message to the council from parents and councillors is clear: safety must come before policy.”

Lindsay Whittle, Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Caerphilly, has called on the Caerphilly Labour council leader Jamie Pritchard to order a rethink of the proposals.

“Parents are very angry and I share their anger over the routes announced by the council. If parents cannot afford to pay then children will walk on very dangerous routes. There will be possibly more traffic on the school routes than we have now.

“Many of these routes are on very fast roads - major routes for people to get to work. The proposals will see children crossing the very busy Northern By pass in many places.

 “I call upon the leader of the council to step up and stop this before a child loses their life.”

Home to School Transport Routes impacted: