SCHOOL chiefs in Trafford are drawing up plans that could see an end to free school transport for hundreds of children.

Executive councillors on Monday night agreed to begin a consultation exercise for a new home-to-school transport policy as part of a cost cutting exercise, which could ultimately see over a thousand parents footing the £360 bill for each travel pass.

Under the existing scheme free transport is given to all pupils attending schools other than their nearest qualifying school, even through parental choice, if the distance is greater than the statutory minimum distance - three miles for pupils over the age of eight.

But under new proposals being considered, after September 2012 parents who chose to send a child to a school other than their nearest qualifying one would lose the perk, unless that family are classed as ‘low income’ - households where total earnings are less than £16,000 a year. Of the 1,080 free travel passes currently issued by the council, 144 are on low income grounds.

There are also plans to introduce an ongoing review for special needs pupils using free school transport to school, the council no longer automatically assuming statemented pupils’ requirements will not change.

“I’m horrified by these proposals,” said Labour group leader, Cllr David Acton on Tuesday. “They’re looking to slash more than £400,000 from the budget and there’s no doubt this will hit a significant number of families across Trafford.

“It will actually result in large scale removal of support for around 1,000 children, some of whom have special educational needs. I think it will be devastating. It’s just another attack on families already struggling in the current climate.”

The council says the cost of providing home to school transport for both mainstream and statemented pupils has been increasing year on year and now costs £3.4m.

The council’s corporate director for education, Deborah Brownlee, said Trafford’s level of school transport is presently well above the statutory requirements for mainstream pupils, and whilst this has provided a high level of service to local young people in the current times of austerity the Council has to ensure its money is targeted to support the most vulnerable groups of children.

“The Council is committed to using its resources in the most cost-effective, appropriate way and to ensuring its on-going support to families living on the lowest incomes,” she added.

The consultation will run throughout June.