RISING transport costs for SEND pupils should be partly tackled by opening new inclusion units across the county – according to deputy Dorset Council chairman, Richard Biggs.

He was responding to a question from former Shaftesbury town councillor Karen Tippins about the annual £18.5million SEND transport budget to take children with additional needs to and from school.

A breakdown of the figures show some taxi firms and bus operators being paid large sums – one company taking over £1.7million and two being paid over £1.2m in a year.

Ms Tippins says that transport costs for SEND pupils in Dorset have increased by around 77per cent over four years. She questioned whether there has been proper scrutiny of the rising figures and whether adequate steps are being taken to control them.

Ms Tippins said: "Dorset Council's own figures show that conventional SEND transport costs around £16,000 per pupil, whereas Personal Travel Budgets have averaged around £5,273 per pupil. At the same time, the Council has confirmed there are still 362 single-occupancy routes."

She says that raises a legitimate question about whether all reasonable opportunities to reduce costs have been explored, particularly given the national debate about councils using alternative arrangements to reduce reliance on taxis and minibuses.

"For me, the key issue is transparency and scrutiny. SEND pupils must receive appropriate support, but when transport expenditure has increased by around 77% in four years, taxpayers are entitled to understand what is driving those costs and what options are being considered to manage them."

A Freedom of Information request made by her shows that Dorset Council has over 1,030 SEND transport routes currently operated with 362 single occupancy SEND routes at the end of March 2026.

The figures show the average annual cost per SEND transport route is £16,372 for 2025-26, with the highest annual cost for an individual SEND transport route at £75,710.

In response to the information request Dorset Council said the SEND Travel Reviewing Team had achieved "significant savings and cost avoidance" and had discussed the issue of SEND transport costs many times.

Portfolio holder Cllr Richard Biggs said the council was making inroads into the transport budget with the expectation that as more specialist places for SEND pupils were opened, the transport costs would fall.