Bus travel over three miles is currently free

A draft school transport bill published on Monday would make better-off families pay, a move critics say could make parents use cars.

But cash-strapped councils are keen to take part in a pilot of the proposals.

At present, transport is free over three miles from the nearest school - two miles for the under-eights.

Extra revenue from charging would pay for better bus services, the government said when it first announced the plans in November.

This would in turn be a way of reducing road congestion.

Low incomes

The Department for Education and Skills said: "Free school transport is popular with the pupils and parents who receive it.

"Unfortunately, at the moment, many other pupils are missing out on this form of transport or may find that they are unable to participate in after-school activities.

"That is why we would like to encourage a small number of local education authorities to look at the transport needs of all pupils, not just those entitled to free travel."

The Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, told a committee of MPs last week that all those entitled to free school meals would also be able to get free transport.

The Conservatives have raised the prospect of "another Labour stealth tax".

"Labour must use this pilot to fully investigate all of the options available to them, and their impacts, and not just the principle of charging hard-working families for transport," said the shadow health and education spokesman, Tim Yeo.

�100 a term

One authority hoping to take part in the pilot is Essex. The county council is bringing in charges for children travelling to faith schools.

By their nature, these tend to involve pupils' covering relatively large distances to get to the nearest suitable school.

From September 2004, secondary age students starting a new denominational school will be charged a flat rate for transport of �100 a term, or about �1.60 per school day.

Essex's cabinet member for education, Iris Pummell, said this would still be a subsidised rate, because the actual cost to the authority was about �280.

Existing students will continue to receive free travel until they are 16.

There are special concessions for families with more than two children and those facing financial hardship.

Moving house

Bus passes to the 17 faith schools in its area are discretionary - so it decided to change the rules to cut costs in view of its central government budget settlement.

"Some of the parents have kicked up a stink about this," Mrs Pummell said.

One father who is unhappy is Mick McCarthy, of Clacton, whose three eldest sons attend or have attended St Benedict's Catholic College in Colchester, 14 miles away.

He said he would like his youngest, nine-year-old Joseph, to go there as well in two years' time - but said the cost is now "a huge worry".

As chair of the parents' association at his son's primary school, he said he knew people who were thinking of moving house or changing jobs to be nearer the college.

"They fear the �100 will rise - and do not want to send their children there then find they cannot keep up with the costs," he said.

The head teacher at St Benedict's, Alan Whelan, said about 60% of the students travel by bus - the average distance being 14 miles.

He believed the new arrangements would just mean "significantly" more parents driving their children to the school.

He said he had looked into setting up a bus service for the school but the cost was "astronomical".

Under the existing national rules, children from the age of eight who live even a few yards under the "three-mile limit" are expected to walk the whole way carrying their school books, sports kit and musical instruments.

Consequently many parents take their children by car.

Once over the limit the whole journey is free - with no requirement to pay for or walk the last three miles.