Stunned parents told to pay £1k for school buses

Parents have said they felt like crying after spotting that the cost of their child's school bus passes would more than double for the upcoming year.

The cost for children on the 907 Central Connect route from West Bergholt to The Stanway School in nearby Colchester has jumped from £405 to £999.

Central Connect said it had to increase costs for these school transport services - which it provides on behalf of Essex County Council - partly because of the universal increase in fuel prices.

Mother-of-two Katie Philp, from West Bergholt, said getting "whacked" by the increase made her feel like she was "drowning".

"It just made me feel like crying," said the 51-year-old.

"We've got school uniform to pay for, we've got new astros (AstroTurf trainers), we've got new football boots, all of that stuff, and that's hard enough as it is."

Essex County Council said it did not know that Central Connect was planning the increase.

Some families qualify for free school transport under criteria set by the government.

For example, if a child aged under eight has to travel more than two miles to get to their "nearest suitable school", then they will qualify. Children aged eight or over need to live more than three miles from the nearest suitable school.

But other families have to pay.

Central Connect admitted that pupils using the 907 route were experiencing the biggest of any of its price increases.

Helen Hobbs said: "Quite frankly [I'm] outraged and I feel a real sense of injustice."

Fellow West Bergholt parent Lisa Diwell said she assumed the price she spotted on the website was "wrong".

"I'm not sure how I'm going to find £1,000," said the 48-year-old.

"I don't understand that they're allowed to just raise prices by this phenomenal amount of money without any consultation, any prior warning."

Sara Naylor, the Conservative councillor for the Constable Division at Essex County Council, said she would be "horrified" to pay it.

"Some people have two or three [children] at the school," she pointed out.

"How are they suddenly supposed to produce that money in a cost of living crisis?"

Part of the route to Colchester is a mile-long stretch of country road with a level-crossing and no footpath.

Parents told the BBC that laying on transport was essential because the alternative would be unsafe.

Naylor continued: "Imagine a 12-year-old in the thick of winter with a book bag wobbling around on their bike, stuck at this level crossing, worried about missing school.

"It's an accident waiting to happen."

Central Connect claimed the council had not helped with the "unexpected and unforeseeable" hike in fuel prices.

Peter Nathanail, managing director of Transport Made Simple which operates Central Connect, pointed out that the council received an extra £783,324 in government money for local buses last month, but said he had seen "none" of the money yet.

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: "Global disruption to fuel supplies and associated price fluctuation has impacted the wider transport sector."

They said they had not received any "formal requests" from bus contractors to help with fuel costs.

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