Disabled children's transport cuts sparks demonstration

[dutchman]

Protesters gathered outside Coventry Council House ahead of a meeting to discuss cuts to free travel to and from school for disabled children.



About 50 disability campaigners, socialist students from Coventry University, trade union reps and members of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition were protesting against the proposals to cut £420,000 from the budget for getting disabled children to and from school.

The cash is spent on taxis, buses and bus passes for children aged two to 18 with a range of disabilities including learning difficulties and autism.

Some go to special schools further from their homes than their catchment mainstream school.

The protesters also raised concerns about proposed £65million cuts to other council services including asking schools to pay for lollipop men and women, closing libraries and scaling down the Godiva Festival.

Jane Nellist, joint divisional secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Coventry said: “We are opposed to these cuts. Some children will not be able to get to school.”

Coventry-based disability campaigner and mum-of-two Eleanor Lisney, 54, representing national group Disabled People Against Cuts said: “Children won’t be able to get to school and then they won’t be literate. That’s what worries me.”

Parents who don’t send their children to school face possible fines or court appearances.

Statistics show families with a disabled child are more likely to be on low incomes.

The protest took place just before a meeting of Coventry City Council’s education and children’s scrutiny board where the proposals were discussed.

Pre-school aged children would lose their free transport altogether, while only the most severely disabled aged over 16 would qualify.

Children who don’t get free transport because of the distance to their school would be assessed to see if they could get to school independently.

At the meeting education boss Coun David Kershaw said: “This concerns some of most vulnerable young people in the city.”

Formal consultation is now being carried out.

[dutchman]

Coventry councillor attacked by three men in disabled cuts row at city centre car park



A leading councillor was attacked by three men in a car park following an argument about cuts to services in Coventry.

Coun David Kershaw (Lab, Bablake) was rushing to a council meeting when the trio approached him in the car park behind the magistrates court, in Much Park Street.

They told the 72-year-old cabinet member for education they would “show him what it’s like to be disabled” before pushing him to the floor at about 11.30am yesterday.

They then ran off towards the car park’s rear exit and after reporting the incident to the police Coun Kershaw went to a council meeting.

“I was aware of three guys in the early 40s who looked like they wanted to talk to me,” Coun Kershaw said.

“I thought, in my innocence, that they were lost and looking for directions.

“I said ‘good morning’ and at that point I got a volley of quite foul language and then, after they had got that out of their systems, which they did fairly quickly, they said ‘we are going to batter you’.

“They said ‘you are going to know what it’s like to be disabled because you’re taking transport off disabled kids’.

“At that point, because I’m a reasonably experienced character and I don’t get flustered, I began to say ‘just wait a minute, let me tell you some of the facts.

“I added ‘we have started a consultation and unlike people’s perception I can assure you this consultation will be genuine and will listen to people’.

“At that point two of the three pushed me to the floor.

“I wasn’t hurt myself. They then scurried off. I picked myself up, I was a bit shaken, and I went to my meeting.

“It’s not right, but on reflection it just makes me more determined to be a good public servant and to represent the good people of Bablake as best as I can.

“I know we’re starting a difficult debate about how can we reduce expenditure.

“I’m trying for the holy grail which is reducing expenditure and improving the service.”

Police are investigating the incident which is believed to have been captured on CCTV in the area.

Anyone with information should contact Coventry Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

[rebbonk]

I have no time for what this council is doing, but knocking old men about is not on. I hope the assailants are swiftly apprehended and face the courts for their behaviour.

[dutchman]

Cuts to travel to school for disabled pupils postponed

CONTROVERSIAL proposals to axe free transport to schools for disabled children have been postponed until after next year.

The surprise announcement was made at a Coventry City Council full meeting this afternoon by education cabinet member David Kershaw.

The move was unusual as the council had begun a public consultation on the proposals, which would have saved the council £420,000 a year.

Coun Kershaw, who was recently physically assaulted in the street in what have otherwise been peaceful protests, said the Labour group had listened and responded early to disabled younsters, families and Coventry people.

He said postponing any decision beyond the previous timescale of next year's budget would allow more time to devise a scheme, in consultation with families, which could be "more efficient" and "promote independence" for disabled people.

Transport to schools for around 1000 disabled people is subsidised by the council, which provides hired buses or taxis.

Coun Kershaw had previously stated some disabled students would be able to get to and from school more independently, including on public transport, given mentoring and training.

He told the council there would be no cuts to the free travel scheme in next year's budget, to be set next February.

He said: "The service will continue to be funded for at least a year while as a council we continue to work closely with parents, carers and children on the implications of the proposed changes to our travel policies."

He said his Labour cabinet colleagues were supportive of the move to "act quickly to lessen the impact of the deep, hurtful cuts imposed on us by the government."

Coventry City Council has been subsidising the scheme beyond minimum government requirements in place at other councils including Warwickshire and Solihull, officers claim.

A two-month public consultation on the proposals began last month.

Subsidies for home to school travel to mainstream schools has already been drastically cut in recent years.

About 1,000 children and young people qualify for some form of travel assistance provided directly by the council or from hired minibuses and taxis.

Under the postponed proposals, around 270 under 16s would no longer be eligible, and about 65 post-16s would have to pay for the service.

Families of other children and young people would have to pay for transport out of their “personal transport budgets”, if they quality for one.

[rebbonk]

...devise a scheme,..., which could be "more efficient"

Councils and efficiency simply don't go together. - Especially CCC!