MORE than 6000 people have signed a petition calling for Scotland's biggest council to provide school transport for a severely disabled eight-year-old boy.
Aaron Cleary cannot walk, talk or eat and has a limited life expectancy. He currently attends The Craighalbert Centre, the Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments.
His parents had to fight a legal battle with Glasgow City Council to secure his place at the school, but now officials have said he will no longer be provided with transport to the centre – 20 miles away from his home.
Aaron's mother Stacy Stafford claims her family may not be able to cope with the huge transport costs and the council may remove him from the school because of this.
In a blog online alongside the petition, which has attracted 6051 signatures so far, she said: "Aaron loves his school.
"His needs are being met very well there, he is familiar with the staff and all his friends are there. Glasgow City Council have now decided to withdraw all transport costs from Aaron, with very little notice.
"From October onwards, Glasgow City Council have said they will no longer be taking responsibility for Aaron's transport costs, which means that I will have to find the money to transport Aaron to and from his school, which is 20 miles away, placing my family under huge financial strain.
"We don't know whether we will be able to afford to keep up with paying Aaron's transport costs.
"If we can't afford to pay to take him to his school, Glasgow City Council will be able to remove Aaron from The Craighalbert Centre on the grounds that we cannot transport him there."
Ms Stafford added that she now plans to take further legal action against the authority in a bid to secure Aaron's school transport.
A council spokeswoman said: "We have already agreed that Aaron can stay at the Craighalbert Centre and the council has accepted the family's placing request.
"Officers are meeting his mother next week and we are not prepared to discuss the details in the media."
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