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Context 

Planning home-to-school transport at scale means balancing pupil needs, school timings, vehicle constraints, and cost pressures that continue to intensify year on year.

For SEN transport in particular, highly specialised requirements can limit flexibility. Without the ability to test alternatives at scale, taxis can become the default option, often increasing costs and reducing opportunities for inclusion.

Hertfordshire wanted to pioneer a different approach – one that made it possible to plan pupils together across schools, properly explore shared and mainstream options, and make better use of existing capacity across the network.

Initial state of play

Before the project began:

• 655 pupils across mainstream and SEN transport
• 249 routes required
• SEN pupils typically travelling by taxi
• Limited ability to optimise across schools or test alternative approaches

The project aim was to move away from default assumptions and accurately assess whether pupils could safely and appropriately travel together or make use of existing public transport.

What QRoutes Vantage enabled

QRoutes Vantage enabled Hertfordshire to plan pupils across multiple schools at once, rather than treating each school in isolation. With the same features and filters as QRoutes – including SEN requirements, school timings, vehicle types, and ride time limits – Vantage made it possible to design a school transport network at scale.

This meant planners could step back, view the network as a whole, and explore options that would not have been possible through single-school planning. 

Stage 1: Data groundwork

Before any optimisation took place, the team prepared the underlying data, ensuring it was accurate and appropriate for large-scale planning. This included:

• Confirming eligibility for transport, removing pupils who no longer met criteria
• Checking SEN requirements such as wheelchair access and travel assistance
• Identifying pupils with highly complex needs who should remain on individual provision

The team recognised that meaningful optimisation depends on confidence in the data and wanted to give themselves the strongest possible starting point.

Stage 2: Scaled planning 

The remaining pupils were planned together in Vantage – planning pupil routes across multiple schools rather than one-by-one. This made it possible to:

• Test shared routes across compatible school start and finish times
• Identify where SEN pupils attending mainstream schools could safely travel on shared or mainstream provision
• Explore alternatives to default taxi use, including existing ERoutes (contracted school coaches) and public transport

This approach meant planners could step back and view the network as a whole, revealing efficiencies that would not be visible through school-by-school planning.

Stage 3: Checking outputs

Optimised routes were checked in detail before any changes were implemented. This included:

• Validating routes against school timings, including known variations such as Friday finish times
• Ensuring vehicle types and capacities were realistic and available
• Stress-testing journey times and identifying where additional runs might be needed

Risks such as longer journey times for some pupils or limited vehicle availability were logged and monitored, allowing concerns to be managed without holding back progress.

Stage 4: Engage stakeholders early and transparently

A major perceived barrier was the predicted pushback from schools, parents, and operators. Hertfordshire addressed this proactively through a comprehensive communication programme:

• Schools, parents, operators, and councillors were informed about the review early on
• Schools and families were told in advance which other schools pupils would share transport with
• Operators were given clarity about contract changes ahead of tendering
• A complaints process was established before services went live

Given the scale of change, the team knew complaints or concerns were inevitable. However, the volume was far lower than anticipated. Clear and upfront communication significantly reduced stakeholder resistance.

The outcome

By combining large-scale planning with sensitive engagement, Hertfordshire was able to move away from single-school operations and deliver a cost-efficient and inclusive transport network.

While complaints arose in-keeping with a transformation of this size, most concerns were resolved quickly once services were operational. Routes proved robust and the council realised their project goals.

Key results

Routes number: Reduced from 249 to 186

Fleet size: Cut by over 25%

Fewer contracts: Simplified contract management and admin

Transport costs: Saved around 1/3 on transport costs covered by the project

The initiative also enabled more SEN pupils to travel on shared, mainstream, or public transport where appropriate, supporting inclusion alongside efficiency.

Rewarding pioneering planning

Hertfordshire’s experience shows that meaningful efficiencies do not come from working harder – they come from thinking differently.

When local authorities are able to step back, view their network as a whole, and test alternatives at scale, they can unlock cost savings and inclusion outcomes that are simply not visible through school-by-school planning.

Learn how Vantage enabled this project through large-scale home-to-school planning.