For learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), school transport is far more than just a daily journey - it's a vital part of accessing education, building independence, and ensuring equal opportunities.

As the drive toward carbon neutrality accelerates, local authorities across Wales and the UK face increasing pressure to measure, report, and reduce their carbon emissions - particularly from transport services

Local authorities face increasing pressure to deliver essential services more efficiently, transparently, and sustainably - often with constrained resources. Nowhere is this more apparent than in school transport.

Effective school transport isn’t just about getting learners to school, it’s about knowing who’s on board, ensuring safe operations, and maintaining secure, GDPR-compliant records. That’s why MoveSmarter supports local authorities with a robust handheld scanning solution designed for accountability, safeguarding, and efficiency.

New handheld features in the MoveSmarter roadmap will help local authorities oversee operator compliance more effectively, capturing walkaround checks and vehicle registrations to support contract fulfilment and future CO₂ reporting.

For many families, putting a child - especially a young or vulnerable learner - on a school transport service each day involves an act of trust.

Determining eligibility for free home to school transport can be complex and error-prone, especially with changing legislation, diverse learner needs, and catchment variations.