Island communities impact assessment for School Transport Guidance

3. Step three – consultation

Evidence was gathered from previous local authority consultations on school transport changes (e.g., Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire) and national surveys such as the Hands Up Scotland Survey. These sources provided insights into pupil and parent concerns around safety, walking distances, and transport accessibility. Stakeholder feedback from ATCO, COSLA, Connect, and ADES also informed revisions to the guidance.

Consultation on the revised guidance was carried out during 2025 through engagement with key stakeholders, including local authorities, parent representative groups, and transport coordinators. Draft guidance was shared for comment, and feedback was incorporated before finalisation.

Questions focused on whether the guidance would create any unique challenges for island communities, such as ferry timetables, longer travel distances, or limited public transport options, and whether additional mitigations were required.

Although no separate consultation events were held specifically for island communities, island authorities were represented through national stakeholder bodies and were given the same opportunity as all other authorities to provide feedback. No island-specific issues were raised through these channels.