Bus pass hike ‘will drive parents to use their cars’

Jul 26 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

PARENTS of children at two of West Wirral’s leading schools will have to pay 60% more for bus travel – and some of them could be forced into making the school car run, a councillor has warned.

But those in favour of the rise say it could be reviewed if more children use the service.

Youngsters taking the bus to West Kirby and Calday Grange grammar schools are facing the transport price hike because subsidies are being cut by £60,000.

Letters have been sent out informing parents that the cost of a year’s bus pass would rise from £305 to £506 .

Conservative group leader Jeff Green, whose daughter attends West Kirby girls grammar, described the decision by the ruling Labour-Liberal Democrat cabinet as “outrageous”.

He said parents, particularly those with more than one child, would be more likely to drive their children to school because of the massive transport costs.

Cllr Green said: “Parents are already paying significant sums in terms of council tax and this is just an additional council tax.”

He said his group will challenge the move at full council in October, but until then the only hope is numbers using the buses.

Deputy council leader Phil Davies says the price had to go up and they are hoping to encourage more parents to use the service despite admitting the cost may be a “real disincentive”.

Cllr Davies said: “We want to try and persuade parents to use this bus to get people out of cars – that’s a good thing. But the reality is the council does not have the money to subsidise them and the cost has got to fall on somebody. It’s inevitable it will be the parents.”

But Cllr Davies, who is also cabinet member for lifelong learning, said: “If we got an indication by the beginning of the next academic year that lots more people would be prepared to use them, we could review it.”

Parent Michelle Fiddaman, whose son will start at Calday Grange in September, said the charges are “absolutely extortionate” while Tina Marsh, who has an 11-year-old daughter set to begin at West Kirby, said it was “appalling”.

Jenie Crowley’s son will be moving into Year 8 at Calday Grange next term. She said: “For all the council tax we pay, I think it’s disgusting because it’s the parents having to suffer.

“We’re trying to get our carbon footprint down and this will only encourage parents to get in the car and drive them there.”

liammurphy