A COUNTY councillor has said he is angry that parents are having to pay so much money for their children’s school bus fares.

Coun Tom Wells told parish councillors at Powick, near Worcester, that he was “outraged” at the rise in the cost of bus passes, which your Worcester News revealed in August would be as much as 54 per cent in some cases.

Coun Wells told the meeting that parents could save money by buying a monthly pass directly from the bus companies rather then opting for the subsidised county council bus scheme.

He said: “It is outrageous. I am wondering that if it is so expensive that some students and families can’t afford the transport, it may mean they choose not to go into further education.

“If parents buy a pass directly from the bus company, it could work out cheaper than a county council pass.

“It costs about £600 for a pass. That is a lot of money to send a child to school and it’s just wrong.

“There are people in rural areas who look at this and realise they just can’t find the money. How can it be right that a commercial operator provides a monthly pass cheaper than the subsidised pass from the county council?”

In August, we revealed that the biggest single rise would be for pupils aged over 16 buying an annual ticket, which is now £405, a rise of 33 per cent.

Councillor Liz Eyre, the county council’s cabinet member for children and young people (12-19 years), said they had a responsibility to ensure access to learning and their role was to make sure there were transport facilities available countywide.

Coun Eyre said: “We do this in several ways, with many schoolchildren in Worcestershire entitled to free home-to-school travel.

“For those who are not eligible, we aim to offer viable alternatives. There are routes in the county that are subsidised, routes that are competitively priced and thus are not subsidised and routes where we can offer an arrangement through the discounted Severn Card.

“We are aware that the Severn Card may not be suitable for all schoolchildren, but rather is a subsidised option which we are able to offer. We always advise parents and students to consider local alternatives which may be cheaper, as well as their own travel schedules.

“For example, how much they stay on for after-school activities or whether in the summer term during the school day some free study may be allowed at home.

“This can help to ensure that individuals’ travel needs are met in the most appropriate way.”