PARENTS have spoken out about “crazy” price hikes for their son’s school bus fare.
Matt Yates and Erika Wood, from Great Totham, say the cost of their son’s journey to Plume Academy has nearly doubled in the past year, rising from £74 to £130 a month.
The couple's 15-year-old uses the PL2 service, which is not a public bus and is therefore not covered by the £3 fare cap.
Mr Yates, 42, said: "There’s been a lot of uproar in Great Totham and Wickham Bishops.
"I’m having to get my 76-year-old dad to take my son to school three days a week, as I can’t afford the bus fare."
The PL2 service is operated by Central Connect, which also offers an annual ticket for £999.
Mr Yates added: "My wife and I work full-time, but I can count on one hand the number of local families with a spare £1,000 in their bank accounts."
He believes the price rise "just stinks of profiteering and not caring".
Under Essex County Council’s transport policy, free school transport is provided only to those attending their nearest qualifying school and living beyond the statutory walking distance.
Mr Yates’ family lives around 300 yards outside the catchment area for Plume Academy.
He said: "My boy has friends with a free bus service, just on the other side of the village.
"We want the same treatment as other families in Great Totham."
Essex County Council said it sympathises with Mr Yates but stressed the fare is set by a private contractor.
A council spokesperson said: "The PL bus services, providing transport from Tollesbury to Plume Academy, are commercial services by Central Connect.
"As a private business, Central Connect decides its own routes, timetables and fares without input from the council.
"The Traffic Commissioner is the regulator for commercial transport providers."
The council also clarified that it does not set secondary school catchment areas.
"Each school’s governing body or academy trust is responsible for its own admission arrangements, including catchment areas," the spokesperson added.
"We have a statutory duty to provide home to school transport for eligible children.
"This can include children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and those from low-income families.
"This is determined by national guidance, which all councils must follow."
A spokesperson for Central Connect told the Standard changes were made due to increased costs and a new ticketing system.
They said: "We have made a number of changes to our school bus ticketing options this year, partly due to significant cost increases faced and partly to remove inconsistencies between different routes which we have inherited from Konectbus, who operated the Plume routes last year - and who we acquired last October.
"Our monthly tickets are offered for parents who want flexibility. For example, if their child only needs travel for part of the academic year.
"They are not the most cost effective way to buy travel if a child is travelling all year.
"We would encourage regular travellers to purchase our £999 academic year bus pass, which offers travel for just £5.26 per day or £2.63 per journey, which we believe represents good value for money.
"We recognise that some parents last year used this ticket option but paid for it monthly.
"Unfortunately, following a change in ticket retailing solution over the summer, we no longer have subscription ticketing available to us, so can no longer offer that option."
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