Webchat tells mum to home-school after fare hike
Owen Sennitt/BBCA mother was advised to consider home-schooling her child by a council's webchat after explaining she was struggling to afford a 150% increase in bus fares.
Caroline Ashley, a single parent living in Castle Acre, west Norfolk, said Norfolk County Council made the suggestion after she sought support to help cover the soaring costs.
She said she was left "flabbergasted" after receiving the council's advice and initially thought it was given by an AI. The council has apologised and insisted a human was responsible.
A ticket for her 13-year-old daughter Ellie to travel to Litcham School - about a ten-minute journey - was previously £2 for a single but it is now £5, while a return is £8.
Owen Sennitt/BBCAshley said: "How is that a solution, to home-school your child because you can't afford to send her to school?
"This has caused me a lot of problems and a lot of stress."
If her daughter got a return ticket every day to school, it would cost about £1,520 a year for the average 190 days of schooling a year.
A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council said the advice "reflected the options available to families" but said "we recognise that it was not appropriate in the context of this enquiry".
They added: "We apologise for any upset caused and will use this experience to shape how we respond to similar cases in the future."
Central Connect said fares have gone up due to fuel rises but dozens of parents are complaining the increase is too high for them to afford.
Robyn Wallis/BBCCentral Connect, a national transport group, took over the service this year after it acquired local company Konectbus.
It said it inherited "legacy fares" which meant certain routes, such as Castle Acre to Litcham, were running at a loss, while also blaming fuel and wage increases.
The government's £3 single fare cap does not apply to dedicated school services.
A spokesperson said: "We understand why this feels like a steep increase, and we do not dismiss what parents have told you.
"Nobody wants a family to be driving to school because the bus has become too expensive, and we are sorry for the position this has put people in."
Other parents elsewhere in the region have complained about similar increases and it led to a review for a route near Colchester in Essex.
Owen Sennitt/BBCCentral Connect said longer term passes are available at cheaper rates and it urged parents to speak with them about their options.
But parents choosing to get a weekly bus pass say the increases are still putting them in a difficult financial position.
Laura Patrick, 37, who works as a senior dispenser at a GP practice, has had to change her hours so she can take her two children to the school instead.
She said: "To send both my children on the bus would be about £56 a week, which is a day's work for me which I just can't afford to lose on bus fare. The increase is astronomical."
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As well as the hit on their wallets, parents are also frustrated the bus company did not give them any warning about the fare hike.
Ashley's daughter turned up to the bus on the first day of term with just £2 when she found out about the increase but fortunately was let on anyway.
Amy Hart, 46, who works as a clerk for a parish council, added: "There was no forewarning, no consultation with parents, I was just shocked."
She added that with more parents driving to school now, it is making congestion on the roads to Litcham more of a problem.
Owen Sennitt/BBCBen Phillips, head of Litcham School, said parents were "rightly alarmed" by the increase to fares and called for the increase to be reviewed.
He added: "I think it is very important, if bus prices are increasing this much, parents and schools need to know well in advance."
He urged Central Connect to explore how it could help disadvantaged students.
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