by political editor Paul Francis

A doubling of the costs of the Kent Freedom Pass has failed to dent its popularity with school children, figures show.

Kent County Council data shows there were 743 fewer applications for the pass last year - a drop of just 3%.

The pass allows children aged 11-16 free bus travel around the county.

The biggest decline was in Canterbury, where there were 3,400 applications compared to 3,691 the previous year - nearly 300 fewer applications.

The second largest fall was in Thanet, where applications fell 152 to 1,793 and then Maidstone, down 149 to 2956 and Tonbridge, down 110 to 2,220.

In three areas - Dartford, Ashford and Swale - there were small increases in take-up.

Overall, the popularity of the scheme, which is now four years old, appears to have been maintained despite KCC doubling the application fee last year from £50 to £100.

There were 24,494 applications in 2011-12 compared to 25,237 the previous year - a drop of 743.

KCC said the fee increase means it has generated twice as much income at £2.3m, but that still only partially meets the £10m costs of running the scheme.

Cllr Bryan Sweetland, KCC's cabinet member for highways, said there were no plans for further increases in the charge.

He said: "It still represents very good value for money and still means that parents are receiving something that is saving them £300 to £400 a year.

"No other authority in the country operates such a scheme as this. We have been keen to stress that it is still free for young people in care and those children on free school meals get a reduced fee of £50 and we are carrying on with that."