05/09/2026
Recent article on PHTM Facebook
Statement -
Having read the recent article raising questions about Bradford Council’s SEND transport contracts, we feel it is important to put our own position on record.
As one of the largest taxi providers in Bradford, we can confirm that we have never been placed on a “red” traffic-light performance rating, nor have we experienced issues relating to the standard or delivery of our services to SEND users.
Many of our customers have used our services through Bradford Council’s transport provision, and we believe they will recognise the level of service we strive to provide, safe, reliable, professional and consistent transport.
We do work with Bradford Council to transport SEND children, and we fully understand the importance of providing value for money. However, we do not believe that SEND transport should become a race to the bottom on price. Rates must be commercially sustainable if operators are expected to maintain the appropriate vehicles, employ suitable drivers and provide a reliable service throughout the duration of a contract.
Our commitment is to provide the service that families and the council should reasonably expect. This includes using the correct and appropriate vehicles, properly licensed and suitable drivers, and consistent drivers wherever possible, so children can become familiar and comfortable with them.
We firmly believe that an operator’s performance, reliability, service quality, safeguarding standards and ability to deliver consistently must be considered alongside price when SEND transport contracts are awarded.
These are not ordinary commercial journeys. We are transporting vulnerable children, and their safety, wellbeing, routine and continuity of care must remain at the heart of every decision.
We therefore believe there should be transparency around how SEND contracts are assessed and awarded, particularly where there are significant differences in the prices submitted by operators.
If price has been the overriding factor in any contract award, then we would expect the appropriate directors/ senior officers within Bradford Council’s Children and Social Care services to have been satisfied that all relevant factors including operator performance, capacity, safety, safeguarding and the ability to deliver the contracted service sustainably have been properly considered.
Ultimately, accountability must sit with those responsible for making and approving these decisions and in this case the directors of children and social services.
Bradford families and SEND users deserve reassurance that contracts are being awarded not simply on the basis of the lowest price, but on the basis of the best overall service, value, safety and reliability.
We are not making allegations against any individual operator. Our purpose in making this statement is simply to put our own record and position on the public record and to call for transparency, fairness and accountability in the provision of SEND transport across Bradford.
For us, our principle is when transporting vulnerable children, the cheapest price should never come at the expense of safety, reliability, continuity or quality of service.
‼️QUESTIONS RAISED OVER BRADFORD COUNCILS’S SEND TAXI CONTRACTS
Questions are being raised over Bradford Council’s decision to allocate significantly more SEND transport work to a taxi operator despite reported concerns about its previous performance.
A small Bradford operator, who wishes to remain anonymous, intends to question the council’s traffic-light system for monitoring transport providers and how previous performance concerns are considered when contracts are awarded.
The operator claims the company concerned had previously been suspended from bidding for work on several occasions because of service concerns and was subsequently given a “red” performance rating—understood to be the lowest category.
Despite this, the company has reportedly been awarded around twice as much work as it received last year after submitting bids significantly lower than those of competing operators.
Concerns have now been raised about whether some of those prices are financially sustainable and whether drivers will be willing to undertake the work at the rates offered.
The anonymous operator says drivers have questioned whether the newly allocated contracts are commercially viable. One example involves a minibus journey that had reportedly paid a driver £50 for approximately three years but has now been reduced to £33.
There are also claims that additional drivers are being recruited through cash referral incentives, while some existing drivers are considering leaving because they no longer believe the work is financially worthwhile.
Further questions surround the way journeys are being allocated. The operator alleges that some are being offered to drivers at short notice, without the price always being disclosed in advance, making it difficult for drivers to assess whether they are commercially viable.
It is also claimed that different drivers and passenger assistants are being used on the same routes, creating a lack of continuity for SEND children.
Consistency is particularly important for vulnerable passengers, many of whom benefit from familiar drivers, passenger assistants and established routines.
With the new school year underway, questions are being asked about whether the company has sufficient drivers, vehicles and operational capacity to fulfil its increased workload reliably and safely.
Bradford Council’s Passenger Transport Service is responsible for transporting more than 1,800 SEND and vulnerable children and adults twice each day. Any significant disruption could therefore have a direct impact on passengers, families and carers.
The council’s senior management structure lists Dan Careless as Assistant Director for SEND and Inclusion.
The key question is whether senior SEND management—and those responsible for awarding and monitoring the contracts—were aware of any previous performance concerns when the additional work was allocated.
The council should also be asked whether it is satisfied that the operator has sufficient vehicles, appropriately licensed drivers and the necessary operational capacity to deliver the increased workload.
It should explain how price is assessed when awarding SEND transport contracts and whether the long-term sustainability of a bid is considered alongside cost.
Where bids are significantly lower than those submitted by competing operators, the council should be able to demonstrate that appropriate checks have been carried out to establish whether the service can realistically and consistently be delivered at those rates.
Another important question is what contingency arrangements are in place if an operator cannot fulfil one or more contracts because of driver shortages, vehicle availability or other operational difficulties.
For families relying on SEND transport, reliability is not merely a commercial consideration. A missed or disrupted journey can prevent a child from attending school and place considerable additional pressure on parents and carers.
Bradford Council should therefore provide reassurance that its contract-award and monitoring procedures are robust, and that previous performance, operational capacity, continuity and service quality are properly considered alongside price.
‼️The fundamental question is straightforward:
When transporting vulnerable children, is the cheapest bid really the best value if the service cannot be delivered consistently and sustainably?
The concerns detailed in this article are allegations made by an anonymous operator. They should be considered alongside any response from Bradford Council and the transport operator concerned.
