Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet has approved changes to the county’s School Transport Policy at its meeting today (Monday 7 September 2026), aligning school transport arrangements with education catchment areas in the county.
The proposed changes will come into effect from 1 October 2026 for implementation in the 2027/28 academic year and will enable the County Council to provide a more efficient service for learners. This includes a quicker Spare Seat Policy process with automatic submission of applications for learners continuing their education with no changes to their circumstances and Blue Badges for learners accepted as proof of entitlement.
The suggested revisions to the Policy also include basing eligibility for free home to school transport on attendance at the designated catchment school (subject to statutory distance and other qualifying criteria) and removal of entitlement to transport to the ‘nearest school’ where this is not the catchment school.
The County Council would continue to meet its statutory duties under the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 which includes support for eligible learners who live beyond statutory walking distances or who qualify on other grounds such as Additional Learning Needs, medical requirements, unsafe walking routes or Looked After Child status.
School transport arrangements for pupils entering the system in September 2026 will remain for the duration of their education in Carmarthenshire.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, Cllr Edward Thomas, said:
“These proposed changes are designed to ensure our School Transport Policy is clear, fair and fully aligned with the school catchment arrangements approved by Cabinet earlier this year. The revised policy will continue to meet the County Council’s statutory responsibilities while providing greater transparency for families and supporting the long term sustainability of school transport services.”
