Lessons from the School Transport webcasts

I hope that you were able to spend a few minutes the other day looking at the webcastsrelating to our looming school transport problem that CWaC intends to impose on our Tarvin children. You will no doubt have formed your own views on this process and it's outcome.
For what its worth my thoughts are as follows having listened to these extracts a couple of times:-

• I am left with the impression that the consultation feedback was extensive, well documented but largely ignored and no doubt expensive .
• The CWaC Exec appears intransigent in its unwillingness to even consider alternatives which are more likely to deliver what the Council seeks than the current proposals. Why not utilise the skills in the Community to help solve the problem?
• There is a "one solution must fit all" philosophy irrespective of the actual circumstances in local areas.- Why do this if it is demonstrably the wrong approach in some areas?
• Only at the total CWaC budget level must the budget be reduced.
• How the necessary savings are to be apportioned across the various Departments ( i.e. Directorates ) is a matter for the Exec.
• As with the UK government the savings demanded in each area should reflect their relative priorities and the probability that the savings are deliverable ie real. The impact must be acceptable albeit undesirable. There is almost always no gain without pain and this proposal is definitely not a win/win outcome for CWaC/Tarvin!

The whole argument can essentially be distilled down to two topics
1. The proposals must future proof CWaC against future uncontrolled cost escalation.
2. The proposals must deliver savings

We will look at these 2 aspects in greater detail in further articles