MORE than £1m is to be pumped into council’s coffers to help provide school transport over the next few months.

Hampshire County Council is to receive £1.1m from a £40m Government grant. 

The money is to support school transport in the autumn term but details of how the cash will be spent are yet to be released.

It could be used to invest in more buses and support children with special needs, it has been revealed.

The council has confirmed that while school transport will operate “broadly in the same way it has previously”, the difference will be in the use of it by students.

They will indeed need to adhere to control measures such as sitting in year groups, using hand sanitiser when getting on and off the bus and, if they are aged 11 years or older, they will be asked to wear a face covering if they are able to, the council said. Vehicles will also need to be cleaned daily and all routes will be risk assessed.

The council said the parents of children with special needs who cannot travel safely with other pupils because of underlying health issues have been offered mileage allowances to allow them to take their children to and from school in their own vehicles.

However, Cllr Patricia Stallard, executive lead member for children’s services and young people at the county council, said: “While this support is extremely helpful, there are many areas of home to school and college travel that may incur additional costs to ensure suitable and, where necessary, extra transport so that children and young people have the best options for their home to school or college journey. ”

The county council explained that as public service buses cannot operate at full capacity, owing to the social distancing guidance, there will be cases where the council will consider requirements for additional public bus services.

Although the bus operator will charge a fare, the revenue may not cover the cost of the additional service and the authority will be required to provide a subsidy to the bus operator, the council said.

Further details are yet to be revealed.