TRANSPORT provided by the county council for college students with additional needs will be made more expensive – and will not cater to their individual timetables.

Hampshire County Council’s post-16 transport service aims to ensure young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities are still able to get to their college or sixth form every day.

But now, the annual fee paid by parents will be increased by 2.7 per cent – which the county council says is in line with inflation.

This means parents will pay £616.20 per year to take their child less than five miles to college – but if they need to travel more than 10 miles, it will cost them £1,365.91 a year.

Transport will also not be arranged around individual student timetables, instead making one journey to and from school or college each day.

Martin Goff, head of transport and admissions for Hampshire County Council, said: “This service is part of the home to school transport service and supports young people in their journeys to schools, sixth forms and colleges around Hampshire.

“We proposed very few changes – one was in favour of students in reducing walks to a possible pick-up point and another is the inflationary rise to the charge.”

Currently, the county council spends £1.3million annually on post-16 transport, as part of its £34million home to school transport service.

A consultation was carried out at the start of this year, inviting parents, students and educators to give feedback on the proposals.

There were six responses to the consultation – which all pleaded for increased public bus services at the start and end of the school day.

Four of these were submitted on behalf of Alton College pupils, the remaining two for Havant and South Downs College.

In its report, the county council explained the service bears no relevance to public transport services, as those are operated by commercial bus companies.

At her decision day, executive lead member for children’s services, Cllr Roz Chadd, said: “I don’t have any further questions about this.

“I am happy to approve the post-16 transport statement and I thank Martin Goff for all his work on this one.”