Rural Families Demand Doorstep School Taxis in Alt Urgell

Families in small villages across Alt Urgell are calling for school transport to reach their doorsteps, proposing the use of on-demand taxi services to bridge the gap.

Agustí Porta, a resident of Aristot in Pont de Bar municipality, highlighted the issue, noting that the school bus stop lies seven kilometres away on the N-260 road. This forces parents to drive children to the pickup point for the service linking Pont de Bar to education centres in La Seu d'Urgell, complicating work-life balance. Porta said some neighbours have even relocated due to the burden. His family attends the rural school in Sant Esteve d'Alàs i Cerc, outside their assigned municipality, because it is closer to home.

Porta suggested integrating school trips into the existing on-demand taxi service, available twice weekly in Aristot, with families willing to contribute to costs. He recalled that such taxis once picked up children at village entrances in his youth, a practice still used in some areas. Education Department sources confirmed regulations allow individual grants for families making obligatory use of transport—such as in municipalities without schools—to cover distances from homes to bus stops.

Alt Urgell County Council president Josefina Lladós said the council has long forwarded this proposal to the Catalan government, but implementation requires significant extra funding. She noted ongoing discussions with the Territory Department to expand on-demand routes, though budget limits under the annual agreement with the Generalitat prevent daily service in every village. Lladós stressed the 1996 Generalitat decree regulating school transport needs updating, as it excludes residents of municipalities with schools unless lines reach their village and seats remain available—at a cost of €1.50.

Bus stop locations fall under county council management, delegated by the government, with councils coordinating with operators and notifying the department of specific issues.

Núria Giménez, president of the parents' association at Arnau Mir del Pla rural school in Pla de Sant Tirs, Ribera d'Urgellet, welcomed recent decisions assigning new enrolments from that municipality and neighbouring Valls d'Aguilar to the centre. This followed years of declining pupil numbers that threatened its survival. She praised rural schools' benefits, including strong teacher and family involvement, and urged reliable transport to all villages to sustain them as local hubs. Without it, she warned, families would opt for La Seu d'Urgell schools for logistical ease.

This school year, meetings between Education Department territorial services for Alt Pirineu i Aran, families, and councils have shaped a comarcal school map. New enrolments from Montferrer i Castellbò and Alàs i Cerc villages will now reference their local schools. Lladós emphasised that more resources are essential to address these challenges and support rural living.