Essex County Council is planning a growing up lesson for future 16-19 year old school and college students - by axing their school bussing arrangements.

The measure that will save £500,000 a year for the 1000 students in mid-Essex who use the scheme every year is to go out to consultation before a decision to proceed is made by the county council inner cabinet.

The present scheme where teenagers families pay the county £330 a year for transport to school every day would be dropped as part of a widespread best value in transport proposal.

All those currently on a scheme will not have it withdrawn though Essex County Council's inner cabinet heard on Tuesday. And there will remain special arrangements for disabled people.

For younger students however there are chances that school bus arangements will be reintroduced through a new Transport Coordination Centre at county hall Chelmsford for special status schools like Ingatestone Anglo Euro, Rainsford Arts and Drama and Great Baddow Sports.

Ingatestone lost its buses last year from county and now finances its own extensive network for students from far across the county

There is also the chance in the future that the grammar schools bus services might be reintroduced after their controversial axing in the early 1990s. Most selective schools are now in private arrangements.

And in order to slash the queues of parents cars outside primary schools and traffic congestion on education days a pilot American style Yellow Bus scheme is to be trialled at Crays Hill School Billericay probably from autumn term 2003.

A county spokesman observed:"It means that all children who currently go to school in mum or dad's car or walk to the school on a busy main road will be picked up from home by the bus

"In most cases there will be no change or things will improve for school transport. The only area where savings and efficiency are truly linked is the 16-19 year olds. But we stresss no political decision has been taken or would be taken prior to extensive consultation."

Published Friday, March 8, 2002