THERE has been some relief for the parents of several autistic teenagers caught up in a school transport dispute, after Newport City Council informed them it would fund specialist bus provision for the current academic year.

The teenagers are all from Newport, but the scope of their additional needs means the nearest place they can receive the necessary post-16 education is at the specialist Priory College, in Pontypool.

As reported in the Argus last week, the teenagers had been left stranded at the start of term because the council, which had in previous years provided transport for pupils in their position, had this year failed to communicate any such arrangements. Dozens of calls and emails to Newport council's transport department, the parents claimed, had gone unanswered.

READ MORE: Parents of autistic teenagers condemn Newport council's 'unfair and unkind' delays to school transport provision

But there was some good news for the teenagers and their families this week, as the council said it would provide transport this year.

The teenagers' additional needs mean they need specialist, supervised transport to and from school with a trained carer, and the council told parents, in a letter, that it would "fully fund [the teenagers'] transport for one year in the first instance".

However, since that council letter, dated September 9, one parent said no transport details had been sent to the families – meaning the teenagers were either still at home, or their parents were still taking time off work to do the school run.

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The parents have questioned some of the council's claims in its letter, too. The council said "the Priory College provides independent travel training", but Claire Selwood, whose son has been affected by the transport dispute, said she had been told by the college that travel training wouldn't be done until the second year of her son's course.

The council letter also informed parents that this may be the last year the transport would be provided.

"Over the course of the year, Newport City Council will be reviewing its policies and procedures linked to transport for post-16 pupils with additional learning needs (ALN)," the letter read. "We would therefore like to take this opportunity to remind current applicants that fully-funded ALN travel may not continue past this academic year."

Regarding the council's decision to fund transport this year, Claire Peach, whose son Harry is due to attend Priory College this term, said: "It's a good start for this year at least, but we have to keep fighting for [transport] next year."

Mrs Peach said she was "not convinced" the council could pull the plug on next year's transport provision, given that Harry and the other teenagers had places on two-year college courses, but said her family was "taking it a step at a time".