The Education Authority in Northern Ireland has reached an agreement with taxi operators that will deliver £918,000 in cost savings for school transport services. The deal follows intervention by the authority to address expenditure that has more than doubled over five years, rising from £19.4 million in 2020-21 to almost £40 million in 2024-25.

Coverage by BBC confirms that more than 4,600 pupils with special educational needs rely on taxi services to reach school daily. The authority has attributed escalating costs to insufficient local provision for children with SEN, often requiring longer journeys to access appropriate education settings.

In December, the Education Authority contacted taxi operators requesting a 10 per cent rate reduction, warning that failure to comply could result in contract termination. The authority revealed in January that the highest rate being charged equated to £83 (€100) per mile.

Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA Cara Hunter, who sits on Stormont's Education Committee, described the peak rate as scandalous. She questioned what checks were conducted before approval and emphasised that public bodies must challenge such costs upfront.

The authority stated that only 26 per cent of Northern Ireland mainstream schools provide specialist SEN classes. It said that until this figure increases significantly, too many children will continue to be educated outside their communities, requiring transport to ensure they do not miss out on schooling.

Dale Hanna, chief operations officer at the Education Authority, said the organisation would continue engagement with taxi operators to secure further savings. He described additional SEN provision in mainstream schools as an absolute necessity.

The authority provides transport through Translink services and its own buses, with taxis used where these options are unavailable or unsuitable for individual pupils' needs.

View the full details on transport cost negotiations and system pressures.