Mother calls for drop in schoolchildren's bus fares

A mother has launched a petition calling on Kent County Council to lower the price of bus travel for schoolchildren.

Nursen Smith is urging the authority to backtrack on increases to a travel saving scheme, extend the hours it is valid and introduce a means-tested subsidised rate.

Smith, who lives near Swanscombe and has a 13-year-old daughter at a Gravesend secondary school, said that recent price rises in school bus passes had made them "unaffordable" for many families.

A council spokesperson said it was not possible to reverse the increase as charges for the forthcoming school year had already been set.

Smith added: "We're a low-income family. I work part-time in a school, and my husband is a self-employed tiler, so we have to be really careful with our money.

"The school bus pass should allow young people the chance to have their independence, but instead there are so many restrictions on when it can be used. I don't think it's great value for money.

"Public transport in Kent isn't very good which is why there are so many cars on the roads and that's not good for the environment."

The Kent Travel Saver (KTS) scheme has seen prices rise from £450 to £615 in the past four years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, with many parents and opponents saying it is becoming too expensive in a cost-of-living squeeze.

The most recent increase was £35.

About 20,000 students use the full-price KTS scheme.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a £2 fare cap since entering Downing Street.

A council spokesperson said it invested more than £7m a year into the scheme, and a 5% increase in prices had been agreed "to help ensure the scheme remains sustainable while continuing to provide significant subsidies for families".

It added: "The charges for 2026/27 have now been set, the application window is open, and families are already applying for passes, so it is not possible to reverse the increase."

Extending validity to evenings and weekends could lead to higher prices, while a reduced cost pass already exists for lower-income families, it added.

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