PARENTS who cannot afford to pay for their child’s school bus pass up front are being charged hundreds of pounds to spread the cost throughout the year.

Families who buy six half-term tickets instead of an annual single ticket end up paying £300 more. As a result, Worcestershire County Council’s children’s services department, which sets the prices, has come in for fierce criticism.

Beverly Day, of Ripon Road, Ronkswood, Worcester, said she cannot afford the £504 family ticket price up front so she pays £134 each half term to send her two children, Thomas, aged 12, and James, aged 14, to Christopher Whitehead Language College in St John’s. That means the annual cost to her is £804 – £300 more than the single payment option.

As previously reported in your Worcester News, Mrs Day was forced to move further from her sons’ school when their home was repossessed.

Mrs Day, who works full-time and does not claim benefits, said: “I think it is just a complete and utter rip-off.”

At Wednesday’s environment and economy panel meeting, chairman Councillor Dr Ken Pollock said: “This is absolutely outrageous. I have raised this issue and was told it was down to administrative difficulties.”

Coun Pollock made the point that residents are not charged for paying their council tax in installments. “If we can manage it for every single council taxpayer we can surely manage it for a small number of children using buses,” he said.

Andy Baker, the county council's integrated passenger transport manager, said although it was the children’s services department which sets the prices, his team had raised the issue. “It does seem punitive,” he said. “We have raised the point and the public have raised it as well. It is a little bit harsh.”

A spokesman for the cash-strapped county council said: “Charges for school transport have risen six per cent this year, reflecting inflationary pressures within the transport sector. The extra cost for half-term payers is due to the added cost of processing payments.

“The council provides school age children and pre-statutory school age children who are admitted to mainstream schools an entitlement to free travel, provided they meet set criteria.”