PARENTS face a massive hike in school bus fares for their children.

The price of concessionary passes will increase from £250 to £400 a year and there will be fewer seats available.

Changes to rules on home-to-school transport have been agreed by Dorset County Council chiefs.

The council said that in the face of soaring transport costs, and the need to make savings following government cuts, the new proposals will mean increased charges for concessionary passes and fewer seats available on school buses.

The council currently runs concessionary schemes for pupils that are not entitled to free school transport. This includes 16-18-year-olds and those travelling to faith schools.

Pupils who are not entitled to free transport can purchase spare seats on contracted coaches.

A spokesman for the county council said: “The home-to-school transport policy has been revised as part of passenger transport project to create longer term partnerships and deliver better value for money.”

All applications will be prioritised against strict criteria, taking into account factors such as disability, special educational needs and medical conditions.

The changes to the policy do not affect pupils who qualify for free school transport.

Dorset County Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services Toni Coombs said: “We appreciate that these changes will be challenging for families and are looking at introducing alternative options for payment, such as increasing the number of instalments, to help ease the burden.”

Information will be sent to parents, along with details on how to apply, on 16 June. For more information visit dorsetforyou.com/schooltransportchanges or call 01305 221060.

Key changes in policy

The new policy comes into place in September 2011. The key changes include:

• The cost of a concessionary seat will increase from £250 to £400 a year.

• The number of concessionary seats available will reduce, which means there will be fewer seats to apply for.

• The cost of a replacement bus pass will increase from £10 to £20 for second and subsequent replacements.

• Charges will be reviewed annually.

• If you have you been affected by the changes call the newsdesk on 01035 830999 or email newsdesk @dorsetecho.co.uk