COST OF SCHOOL TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 7

COST OF SCHOOL TRANSPORT

Nearly 100 Per Cent. Rise Since 1948 REPORT TO EDUCATION BOARDS (gew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. October 22. The cost of transporting children to Bh ool has risen from £529,187 in 1948 10 £961.898 this year, according to a report of the executive committee of jje New Zealand Education Boards' The report was presented „ the annual conference of the aspciation at Wellington today. It was referred to individual boards for discession and comment. Giving transport costs for the last years, the report said:—‘The depjrtment is concerned—and rightly so Set the steadily increasing costs, and te deforcing a very rigid limit on the stances over which buses are permittedto run.” Much of the increase was a result of &e steadily rising costs of operating costing services, said the report, and sot solely of improved transport facilities. The centralised system of transport control was instituted on the round of economy, because the total conveyance cost was rising rapidly every year. The committee said that it considered it was now time boards assumed sore autonomy in school transport. Detailed suggestions for a change in control were included in the report as a basis for discussion with the Education Department. ■fiie conference today also passed eeveral remits asking for additional funds to provide better services for country children, and suggesting that possibly smaller buses or station wagions could be supplied in some areas I A departmental officer. Mr E. CunSffe, said that more assistance was aven to country children than to town iildren, and that applications for extensions of services were not lightly refused. Money was the main problem, he said.