The Maeers' home was pinpointed by satellite

His friends living in the same street get a free pass, which has annoyed Andrew's mother, Lynfa Maeer, of Ty Draw.

"The system cost �8,000 and yet they will not give Andrew the 25p that he pays each day," said Mrs Maeer.

Andrew said: "When I found out I had to have a red pass instead, it was kind of crazy."

Rhondda Cynon Taff said the 'home to school' system had been introduced to determine the entitlements of 12,000 pupils using public transport.

The law states that pupils who live three miles or more from school are provided with a free service, following the shortest practical route from home to school.

'Generous service'

The sophisticated tracking service is based on details from the latest Ordnance Survey map information, determining the exact distances from post-coded houses to school addresses.

The cost of the service to the council - which claims to run one of the most generous transport services in south Wales - totals �5m a year.

A spokesperson for the authority said the Maeers had the right to appeal against the decision.

Andrew has also received an invitation to visit the council to see the system for himself.