Parents in one village are considering hiring a private minibus to take their children to school – after councillors scrapped the cap on how much bus pass costs can rise.

The Kent Travel Saver is currently £450 a year and will be frozen at that price in September after the county council which subsidises the scheme, received extra funding from the government.

But yesterday members of the authority’s environment and transport cabinet committee voted to remove the limit on how much the cost can be hiked in future years.

This means that unless additional government cash becomes available again, the annual cost of a Travel Saver – used by pupils travelling to and from secondary school – will likely soar to more than £630 next Sepember.

Linsey Hall, from Boughton-under-Blean, between Canterbury and Faversham, says if such a hike was introduced parents in the village would consider pooling resources for a private minibus service for their children.

“I don’t see how they can justify an increase up to £630 or more – it makes me quite sick just thinking about it,” said Ms Hall.

“I think the cost of the pass should be frozen indefinitely at £450. I mean that’s expensive as it is – surely that’s enough to get one kid to school for a year.

“I’ve been talking to some other parents in the village about maybe trying to get a private minibus, because it might actually cost less.”

The mum-of-two says that in the worst-case scenario, she would just have to drive her daughter to and from school each day, even though that would mean taking time off work.

The Travel Saver cost had been due to rise from £450 to £630 this September, after the increase was voted through by county councillors in February.

But KCC has now been given almost £20 million from the government as part of its National Bus Strategy.

This has enabled the authority to freeze the 2023/24 school year’s bus pass at £450.

“The cap on price is no longer affordable and the new decision reflects this...”

However, a “significant” increase to the Travel Saver will be required next September to cover anticipated bus operator inflation costs across both years.

A report presented to the committee says: “Unless other internal/external funding is found in 2024/25, then potentially a significant cost increase to [the Travel Saver] will be required and hence the need for future increases not to be constrained by a cap, linked to scheme costs.”

Since 2015, hikes to the price of the bus pass have been capped at a maximum of 5% of the gross costs of the scheme.

The report adds: “In 2024/25 the cost of the pass would need to increase to reflect operator inflation in 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25. Hence the cap on price is no longer affordable and the new decision reflects this.”

At the committee meeting on Tuesday, councillors agreed to freeze the rate of the bus pass at its current level for one year.

“What about next year? Well never mind that. It is good news in the short-term...”

But members admitted that unless additional funding becomes available, they will be forced to dramatically increase the price for 2024/25, so voted to remove the 5% cap.

Cabinet member for highways and transport Cllr David Brazier said the bus companies have been through a “hard time”.

“For one year we will be able to retain the price at the current cost of £450,” said Cllr Brazier.

“But whether we are able to perform this trick again depends very much on funding from the Department for Transport and their permission for us to use it in this way.

“The bus companies have been through a very hard time - they have not yet recovered the costs of Covid.”

Deal and Walmer councillor Trevor Bond suggested the council should start looking into alternatives to the Travel Saver.

“It’s good news that it’s not going to go up for 12 months, but I find it hard to accept that the price should have gone up to £630 anyway,” said the Conservative.

“That’s pretty steep even for the economic conditions we find ourselves in.

“We should start working on a back-up plan if we are not able to maintain the bus pass scheme.”

Concluding the discussion at County Hall, chair Cllr Seán Holden said: “This is good news.

“But what about next year? Well never mind that. It is good news in the short-term that the price is not going up.”