Post 16 Transport Policy

Overview

Somerset Council has a statutory duty to review its Post-16 Local Transport Policy Statement annually, setting out the arrangements for enabling eligible Post-16 (aged 16-18) and Post-19 (aged 19+) learners to access further education.

The Council is proposing to make a significant change to the policy, a statutory consultation is required to inform the decision process required to publish the Policy Statement in May 2025.

Background

Somerset Council provides travel assistance to around 9,000 young people to their education setting each day.

While the Council is statutorily obliged to make free of charge home to school travel arrangements for eligible children of compulsory school age, there is no similar statutory obligation on the local authority to provide travel for Post-16 learners.

However, the Council currently still provides substantial discretionary assistance for Post-16 learners with SEND at significant financial cost.

Our current offer of travel assistance includes the following:

• Personal Travel Payment (PTP) 

• Offer of Travel Training 

• A bus or train pass   

• A seat on an existing/contracted route 

• A fuel allowance  

The proposals are designed to reduce the offer of support available to Post-16 learners with SEND, in line with legislation, while promoting independence and supporting their transition to adulthood.

Proposals

• A new stepped model of assistance for eligible Post-16 and Post-19 learners with SEND that will, wherever appropriate, prioritise an offer of Independent Travel Training (ITT), enabling young people to develop the skills needed to access the public transport network and travel independently.

• Where ITT is assessed to be inappropriate for a young person, a Personal Travel Payment (PTP) will be provided as a contribution towards the cost of the learners’ travel arrangements. The payment will take into account individual circumstances and support families, in part to make their own travel arrangements.

• Where there are seats available on a contracted vehicle carrying school-age children to an education provision, these may be offered as an alternative to a PTP.

Travel assistance for Post-16 and Post-19 leaners will still require an application and will be assessed to determine eligibility and the appropriate type of assistance offered.

Any changes will be implemented for young people entering Post-16 education in September 2025 and onwards. 

All young people already in Post-16 education at that point will continue on the current policy, except in a small number of cases where reassessment is required due to a change in circumstances, such as:

• a change in their medical needs
• a house move
• a change of education setting
• or at certain key transition points in their learning where a new application for travel assistance is required

You can view and download the current policy at the bottom of this page. 

We would like to hear your views on the proposed changes.