School bus fare hike is ‘moral blackmail’

Furious parents vented their anger over plans to increase school bus fares by 30 per cent during a heated meeting at Perton Civic Centre.

Proposals to increase charges from £300 to £390 were described as “moral blackmail” by Perton East councillor David Bilson as the parents have no choice but to send their children to school. County council bosses want to raise the fees for all children who live within three miles of Codsall High School, saying the service is losing money and savings must be made.

Under Government rules, everyone who lives more than three miles from the school gets free travel, while all those within the three-mile radius must pay.

More than 40 parents turned out last night to complain they paid £240 for the service two years ago and last year it went up to £300.

Perton resident Mark Lewis, 46, of Idonia Road, said: “A 30 per cent rise is absolutely disgusting and it cannot be justified. On more than half a dozen occasions last year the bus did not even turn up and when that happens, you are losing money already.”

People were also upset that Staffordshire Country Council has yet to set up a direct debit system for pay-ing in installments. Instead they have can either pay in one go or in two payments in July and November.

Sarah Rathbone, 34, of Benson Close, Perton, said she had to pay for her 15-year old daughter Hannah and 13-year old son Matt to use the service.

She said: “We have to use the bus – my daughter has tried walking and it has taken her 45 minutes.”

Transport officer Adrian Hunt said: “It costs the authority about £400 or so for each seat, and somewhere down the line the auditors said it should be recouped somehow.”