The regional government has intensified contacts with the school transport sector and has presented new proposals that allow progress and unblocking the situation. Some are the review of prices to provide guarantee and stability to the sector and a new contractual regulation, which adapts to the current socioeconomic reality and the particular needs of the school transportation service in the Region.
The Minister of Education, Víctor Marín, highlighted this Sunday: «We have not stopped working from the first moment we became aware of the situation and we are doing so with full will to reach an agreement. Therefore, the proposals respond to the demands raised by the sector. “It is urgent to find a common way to restore normality in the operation of an essential service.”
In addition, the regional government has offered the sector the creation of a technical working group with its representatives, to have a common space for continuous dialogue.
The Ministry asked for social responsibility from all actors who are part of the provision of the school transportation service, which allows access to a fundamental right such as education. And he stressed his total willingness to collaborate, agree and dialogue so that the service is restored as soon as possible.
The provision of the school transportation service is carried out through public contracting by companies in the sector, as Community sources recalled in a statement. Currently, Education has a framework agreement in force through which 97 routes were awarded.
To cover the service of the 336 pending routes, an invitation was sent to all the companies that had provided this service last school year, under the same conditions that they carried out the service in 2023. Of all of them, 101 routes were accepted and awarded for the course. 2023-2024.
30% of students affected
Last week, the Ministry learned that some companies were not going to accept the invitations that the Ministry had extended to them, and, therefore, they would not provide the school transport service on the routes that remained unallocated. They did not accept the same routes that they were carrying out until last June and continue with the same conditions.
From the Ministry they indicated that “this week more than 63% of the school routes were awarded, guaranteeing school transportation to about 70% of the students (14,000 students).”
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