ARGYLL and Bute Council has spent more than £1.5 million on private hire school transport over a year – but only a small fraction of that was in Helensburgh and Lomond.

A Freedom of Information request revealed the total forked out by the authority, broken down into its four administrative areas, between August 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024.

Figures supplied by the council showed that the money paid out in Helensburgh and Lomond was £36,860, some of which covered transporting fewer than 10 pupils to Rhu Primary School.

The remainder spent in that area was to take fewer than 10 pupils to Ardfern School in Alexandria and Cardross Primary, plus Hermitage Academy.

Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands was by far the most costly of the four administrative areas of Argyll and Bute during the period requested, with nearly £1.4m spent on seven different school journeys.

Bute and Cowal’s figure was £10,867, which was accounted for entirely by fewer than 10 pupils travelling to Rothesay Joint Campus.

In Oban Lorn and the Isles, five different routes cost the council £102,404 in private hire school transport. None of those routes were for any more than 10 pupils.

In a statement submitted with the figures, the council said: “We transport around 3,500 pupils to 78 different schools every day, and we are faced with challenging logistics and geography to ensure our children and young people get where they need to be.

“We do this by the most cost-effective and practical methods available, usually by bus. Sometimes, we have to use a taxi to the nearest bus, if there is not a safe walking route, or straight to school, if that is the most expedient way.

“We will also use taxis for young people with additional support needs if required. Taxis are only used if they are cheaper or more expedient than providing the service in-house.”

It added: “The figure for Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands (MAKI) has been separated out as it does not contain a like for like comparison.

“The Kintyre school and local bus contract package is included in these figures. As well as mainstream school transport (full-sized buses) and local bus services, it contains two taxi routes.

“We are unable to extract the cost of these two taxi routes from the overall contract, which has the effect of over-inflating the figures requested for MAKI.”