Leicestershire parents protest over school bus changes

Parents staged a protest against the plans outside a Leicestershire school

Parents say changes to a free school bus service will have massive implications for their children, the community and traffic congestion.

Leicestershire County Council currently provides free bus travel to pupils living three or more miles from school.

But it is now proposing only providing free transport for pupils living up to three miles away.

It said children are now eligible for more schools over a wider area because of the growth of academies.

'Sad situation'

Parent and member of the School Transport Policy Group, Lisa Harris, said: "Parents are angry and upset and children are not happy because they are uncertain which school they will go to.

"There are financial implications for parents too. It's just a very sad situation."

The council said government changes to allow schools to become autonomous academies have "created a transport problem".

"It means that pupils can be eligible to attend a number of different schools with the county council picking up the transport cost," it said in a statement.

A public consultation on the proposal ends on 12 March.

The report will go before council members in May with the plan to come into effect in September 2015 if approved.