Campaigning parents have insisted the fight will continue over school mileage limits in North Lanarkshire despite a council U-turn on primary school roads.

Earlier this week, the council confirmed that primary school children in North Lanarkshire who receive school transport will continue to qualify at the current mileage limits.

The council had previously decided to change the mileage limits for primary school children to the legal maximum limit.

It would have meant that children living more than two miles from the school would have to make their own arrangements, rather than those living more than a mile away.

The news has delighted parents who have campaigned against the changes since the plans were first revealed earlier this year.

Kerry-Anne Ferrie, whose son Sean would have been forced over a mile and a half to Cathedral Primary in Motherwell had the plans not been shelved, said: “As a primary campaign team we are delighted with the news that 1,400 children Primary schools in North Lanarkshire have retained their dedicated transportation and will be able to get to school safely and ready to learn.

“We now need to focus on high school routes that clearly have safety challenges and support the task force to do this.

“We are also really concerned about children with additional support needs who attend mainstream secondary schools and despite doctors having the opinion that dedicated transport should be provided to them, they have been refused.

“We will continue to call on the Scottish Government to review the existing qualifying mileage for all children in Scotland and reduce it to more acceptable levels given today’s environment.”

She added: “We were optimistic after the council set up the taskforce but you never can tell.

“I was down at one point but we kept going and I’m happy with the decision.”

The hard work of Kerry-Anne and other parents was praised by Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson.

She said: “It is thanks to the tireless campaigning efforts of parents, carers and pupils – led by the incredible Kerry-Anne Ferrie – that Labor has seen sense and is turning against this decision for primary pupils.

“This U-turn will be a huge relief to affected families, but it shouldn’t have taken such a fight for Labor to prioritize children’s safety or to listen to voters.

“It is critical that the administration meaningfully engages with the people it represents rather than dismissing them outright.

“Questions remain about the situation of high school students and I will continue to do so.”

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