More parents may pay for their child’s school travel costs as the cash-strapped council desperately tries to make savings.

An overhaul of Bucks County Council’s (BCC) home-to-school transport service may mean parents of young people aged 16 to 18 with special needs may have to pay for their child’s travel.

Other potential changes include scrapping free transport arrangements for pupils travelling from Iver to The Chalfonts Community College and Ivinghoe to Cottesloe School, in Wing, as well and using more public transport services.

This morning BCC’s cabinet agreed to carry out a 10-week consultation into the changes, which the council says will encourage children to develop independence.

Cabinet member for education at BCC, Mike Appleyard, said: “We are looking at, over the next few years, changing and modernising the way we help children to get to school.

“We are likely to be using public services more, particularly when our routes run virtually parallel to public service routes.

“With regards to special needs children, together with greater use of public transport, we are already moving along a path of training for independence, which parents want for their children by the time they are 18 or 19.”

BCC currently spends £15.1 million a year on getting around 9,000 pupils to school – £12.7 million of which goes towards statutory requirements set by government.

Council chiefs say the current provision is “unsustainable” and have created plans to bring the service in line with the legal requirement.

However, there will be no changes to arrangements for 5,000 pupils who are eligible for free travel, according to the council, such as young people aged five to 16 and low-income families travelling within a specified distance.

Cabinet member for children’s services, Warren Whyte, said BCC aims “to help those most in need” as well as encourage independence.

The council will urge those affected by the changes to take part in a survey and attend drop-in sessions to learn more about the plans.

The new systems will be phased in over two years to allow parents to prepare for the added cost.

Cllr Appleyard added: “I’d like to encourage feedback from our residents on how we implement the proposed options so that our future offer meets the needs of families, communities and schools.

“Be assured we will make changes considerately so that we limit the need to increase prices.”

Will you be affected by the changes? Contact jasmine.rapson@newsquest.co.uk.