DISABLED children in Worcestershire are to lose their right to free school transport under new cost-cutting plans from County Hall.

Currently, children such as Alexandros and Aliki Vlachos enjoy free school transport but children in the future will lost that right.

Worcestershire County Council has announced it plans to remove the automatic right of all disabled youngsters in the county to get free transport to school as of September, in a move it expects will eventually bring in an extra £30,000 a year.

The rule will only apply to newly-assessed disabled children. Those with particular special educational needs may still be entitled to free transport, but will be assessed individually.

Councillor Liz Eyre, the Conservative cabinet member for children and young people's services, said that as disabled children already receive the Government's Disability Living Allowance (DLA), they should not need a free transport subsidy as well.

"The DLA already includes a transport allowance within it," she said.

"At the moment they are effectively being paid twice."

There are currently 106 disabled children at Worcestershire schools who receive free transport.

New Government rules mean councils now have to offer free transport to children from low income families, which will put an added drain on the council's £12.8 million transport for schools budget.

"We can't allow that budget to grow any larger," Coun Eyre said. "Our support must be focussed on the most vulnerable children in society. We are here to support the poorest children - that's what local authorities do."

She stressed the plan was only a proposal, and is currently out to public consultation.

"When it comes back to us in June we will have the opportunity to look at all these issues," she said. "This is the chance for people to talk to us."

Also to be cut are reduced-rate tickets for students over the age of 16, and the option to buy a family ticket for more than one child.

"This will only affect those families who can afford it," Coun Eyre said. "Low income families will receive free transport anyway."

Case study: the Vlachos family

THE mother of two disabled children is shocked at plans to take away the right to free school transport.

Alexandros Vlachos, aged seven, and his sister Aliki , four, take the free bus to Worcester's Fort Royal Community School - a special school off Wyld's Lane.

Their mother Julie, of Red Earl Lane, Malvern, said it is discriminatory that families like hers will lose the automatic right to free transport.

She said: "Because a family might not come under what the government claims is a lower income doesn't mean that we all have lots of money. Far from it. This is quite unfair. Quite often families who are on major benefits are better off then families who work part time. In fact sometimes they take home less money because they are not allowed the full benefits."

Mrs Vlachos said disabled children have the right to free transport, especially as many parents did not own suitable vehicles or have the choice of what school their children attend.

"I just can't imagine it. If I lost the service it would mean I would have to take them both to school myself," she said.

"I do have my own vehicle but my problem is they are both wheelchair bound and need to go in a special vehicle where they can be strapped in - and in our car we would not be able to do that. Our children are also not able to go to their local primary school. We should at least have the right to have free transport to the one school they are allowed in the county."

She added while the move would probably would not affect her children, who suffer from Leighs disease - a neurometabolic disorder - the school's new intake will suffer.

Mrs Vlachos, a governor at the school said she will be letting everyone know about the plans and will be fighting them.

Meanwhile, John Buckley chairman of the council's Overview and Scrutiny Steering Committee said he would be bringing it to scrutiny to look at during the consultation period.