Local councils in England want families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to be means tested for school transport. They say the number of children needing transport is rising fast, and costs are becoming too large to handle. Currently, councils spend £2 billion a year on this service, but it could jump to £3.4 billion by 2030-31. The County Councils Network (CCN) warns that without big changes, councils will have to transport 100,000 more children by the end of the decade. This equals the size of a whole city. They want the government to introduce rules that ask families earning above a certain level to pay for transport. The CCN advises that this should be done carefully because of the current cost of living crisis. The CCN also suggests reviewing the walking distance rules that decide who gets free transport and encouraging more independence by reviewing arrangements regularly. They say individual taxi rides should only be used as a last option. However, disability campaigners warn that testing family income for transport could stop many disabled children from going to school. Anna Bird from the Disabled Children’s Partnership said, "School transport should be based on a child’s need and not what their parents earn. Transporting disabled children to school is far more complicated than for their non-disabled peers. Means testing transport doesn’t just balance budgets – it risks locking disabled children and young people out of education altogether." Councils must provide free transport for children who cannot walk to their closest suitable school due to distance, special needs, disabilities, or safety. The government recently promised £5 billion to clear most local authority debt on Send, if councils agree to upcoming reforms. But this does not cover transport costs. Last year, councils helped about 206,000 Send children get to school, a record high. This number could rise to 311,000 by 2030-31 if trends continue. Bill Revans from CCN said, "The numbers are becoming overwhelming for many councils’ budgets. If nothing changes, they will be transporting more than 100,000 additional pupils within six years – a city’s worth of young people." Special needs campaigners also criticized the idea. Tania Tirraoro from Special Needs Jungle said, "Without school transport, many young people with Send could not access education. It’s a necessity, not a luxury." Madeleine Cassidy of IPSEA added that rising costs come from poor past decisions, not too much demand, and warned against cutting children’s rights. A Department for Education spokesperson said their upcoming schools white paper will aim to build a fairer system that supports all children close to home and fixes financial problems. "Our forthcoming schools white paper will set out how we will build a more inclusive education system that delivers support earlier, restores financial sustainability, and ends the postcode lottery once and for all," they said.