Some parents could be forced to pay for school transport if new plans go ahead.
Staffordshire County Council currently provides free travel to some pupils who live more than two miles from their catchment primary school or more than three miles from their catchment secondary school.
But as part of a bid to cut the annual £3.2million bill for school transport across the county, the authority is consulting over plans to introduce a £2 per day charge for the service.
Councillors say the move is designed to make the system fairer to all taxpayers by sharing the cost between parents and the council, with the current arrangement supporting just over three per cent of students across Staffordshire.
And they insist statutory transport to a pupil’s nearest school that is over two or three miles will still remain free of charge, with families who meet the low income criteria also likely to be entitled to free transport to secondary schools.
County Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for learning and skills, said: “We are committed to protecting the home to school transport service as this is something we know parents value and rely upon,” said County Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for learning and skills. “But to do this, we need a fairer sharing of the costs between the county council and parents.
“The current system is subsidised entirely by council taxpayers, but only benefits a small percentage of schools and pupils. At the moment, 92 per cent of all pupils make their own travel arrangements and a further four per cent are statutorily entitled to transport or already pay a contribution to their transport costs.
“With all public spending coming under severe pressure and all services under scrutiny, we feel it is no longer possible to justify this significant cost on the grounds that it is the way things have always been done.
“The proposal is for half of the cost to continue to be subsidised by the county council, but parents will be asked to pay a contribution equivalent to just £2 per day per pupil.
“This proposal will only affect pupils when they change schools or move address from September 2014.
“We think this proposal is fair and reflects the special circumstances in Staffordshire, but we want to find out what parents and the public think.”
A consultation on the proposals begins today (June 4) and finishes on July 12. For more information, visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/transportconsultation.
