Lower house: reimburse parents for replacement student transport costs.

Lower house: reimburse parents for replacement student transport costs.

The debate on student transport caused much discussion. Today the House of Representatives voted on several motions submitted during the earlier debate. One motion was adopted that calls on municipalities to reimburse parents for substitute transport costs. There was also a call to set a maximum travel time through the municipality's model regulation.

Motion to reimburse parents for substitute student transport costs

In the debate, a motion was submitted calling on municipalities to reimburse parents for costs of substitute transport such as taxis when transport for their children is not organized. This motion was submitted by no less than 18 parties led by Paul van Meenen (D66) and was adopted during the vote. The effect of the motion depends on the willingness of municipalities. The members of the House of Representatives concluded that short-term intervention is difficult because the responsibility lies with the municipalities. Whether this motion will make a difference for parents and students in practice therefore depends on the commitment of the municipality. The motion is at least a clear signal from parliament to municipalities. The municipality of Rotterdam already says it will respond to the call.

Motion to amend the model regulation for municipalities

Another adopted motion has the same issue. With this motion, the House, initiated by De Hoop (PvdA), expresses the wish to adjust the VNG’s (association of municipalities) model regulation. This regulation includes the maximum travel time for student transport. The problem: municipalities manage the regulation themselves, and the House cannot change it in the short term. Again, it is a clear signal to the municipalities.

Motion requesting a future vision for student transport

The debate included much criticism about responsibility distribution and the tender system. Peter Kwint (SP) submitted a motion asking the minister to create a future vision together with transporters, municipalities, schools, parents, and students. This vision should include enough student transport, conducted by well-trained professionals, and explicitly consider the option to avoid the tender system. This motion was also adopted by a majority of the House of Representatives.

Other motions

Furthermore, motions to recruit more drivers and to explore forms of supervision for student transport were adopted. Read all motions submitted and voting results here.

Review and vision of Ouders & Onderwijs

Ouders & Onderwijs has long been concerned about problems regarding student transport. In March this year, we published the tough results of a survey among parents. Read more about this in the news article ‘Student transport exhausts vulnerable children’. This brought much attention to the topic. Director Lobke Vlaming explained the vision of Ouders & Onderwijs in a roundtable discussion in the House of Representatives. As a result, a debate was planned. You can read the main points of that debate on our website. Ouders & Onderwijs is glad that the problems around student transport finally get the attention they deserve. We continue to work for an improvement of the situation where parents and children still find themselves.