The Education Authority in Northern Ireland updated the Assembly Education Committee on 25 February 2026 about efforts to cut taxi expenses for school transport. Dale Hanna, Chief Operations Officer, outlined measures to address increasing costs linked to special educational needs (SEN) provisions.

Taxi driver numbers in Northern Ireland dropped almost 22% since 2020, reaching the lowest level since 2013. SEN assessments often require individual or modified transport for children, including wheelchair users. Delays in SEN school placements, sometimes confirmed days before the school year, limit competition among operators and result in long journeys outside local communities.

The Authority contacted operators before Christmas for a voluntary 10% rate cut and met with the five largest contract holders to seek cost reduction plans. These efforts produced agreements for £918,000 in savings. Operators face monitoring and reviews before the 2026/27 academic year, with a new round of talks targeting high rates.

Expanding SEN places in mainstream schools stands as the key long-term fix to reduce transport needs, according to the update. The Authority called for school partnerships to achieve this. Further options, such as parental grants, remain under consideration if required savings fall short.