Post 16 Kent Freedom Pass £520 !!!!

[chocolate]

Hi

I live over three miles from my nearest secondary/grammar school. My son has therefore been receiving the 'free transport to school' via the village public bus. He is now 16 and will be entering year 12 in September. Due to the change in rules, he can no longer get free travel post 16. I'm considering applying for the Kent Freedom Pass for him although the cost has increased to £520 (very expensive if you ask me). With this pass he will be able to travel at anytime, not just to and from school. It will cost me even more on the bus if I pay daily, weekly or monthly. I've also calculated that it will cost me about £420 in petrol if I take him to and from school, so I'm thinking it's worth paying the extra £100 to save me the job and he can use it in school hols and at the weekend. Anyone else out there who used to get free travel to school because of distance and now has to pay for it!!!

[scary mum]

Yes, everything has changed in Bucks. If you attend a GS which is further away than the upper school (most are) you have to pay. DD is going into the 6th form and will have to pay twice as much as DS (can't remember exact figure but over £700, I think) - same school bus, same size bottoms!

[yoyo123]

I bought my son a megarider gold ticket, still quite expensive though, but it meant he could travel outside of school times

[Belinda]

.

[inkypinkyponky]

Hi chocolate (yummyyummy!)

My DDs have never had free travel as although Grammar is 3.5 miles from home and non-selective girls school is 4.5 miles from home, Kent say that there are nearer schools - yes, awful, mixed non-selective and 2 faith schools - so as we chose to send DDs to schools further away - hard cheese, we have to pay!

I haven't seen anything about the Freedom Pass being available to Years 12 and 13 - is this new info?

I think £520 to find in one go, as well as a second one at £100, for my DDs is impossible for the inky household - never mind.

Before you buy one though, check out your local bus tickets online. I know the Freedom pass is for journeys throughout Kent, but our local 4 week pass, with a 10% discount online - is £52 - much more manageable for the inky household - as DD1 doesn't need a bus pass for holidays or study leave, (and BF lives nowhere near a bus route!)

Just worth checking before you fork out £520 in one go!

[SSM]

Hi chocolate,
I'll also have to fund DSs travel for sixth form, but as he catches the train it's rather a bit more than the £520.

Even though he will be a student we'll still have to pay adult prices for his train journey. Working it out at today's fares it will be about £1300 a year.

In fact since I found out last week I've been contemplating whether I should take it to the powers that be and start some sort of campaign, as it seems very unfair to expect students to have to pay adult fares.
Some rail companies do subsidised fares for students, but unfortunately Southeastern don't.

[chocolate]

Hi All

Thanks for your replies.

SSM- I agree it is unfair that students are expected to pay adult fares (or should we say the parents of the students pay their adult fares!!). That is the same if my son get the bus. I did voice my opinions during the consultation period with KCC regarding this and the cost of the freedom pass, but obviously it didn't get me anywhere! I guess a bit more money us parents have to pay out for (along with everything else!!) until our DC's hopefully get employement in their twenties when they've finished studying for eternity............................

[Twinkle]

Hi chocolate,
I'll also have to fund DSs travel for sixth form, but as he catches the train it's rather a bit more than the £520.

Even though he will be a student we'll still have to pay adult prices for his train journey. Working it out at today's fares it will be about £1300 a year.

In fact since I found out last week I've been contemplating whether I should take it to the powers that be and start some sort of campaign, as it seems very unfair to expect students to have to pay adult fares.
Some rail companies do subsidised fares for students, but unfortunately Southeastern don't.

Can your son get a Student Railcard to reduce the cost? Or do they only work off peak?

I'll join your campaign SSM. I will have two on the train by September and potentially a third in a few years time. The cost of getting them to school in the 6th form is making my eyes water. It is bad enough having to pay for my second child ( year 7) to get to our nearest GS on the train from September. I had assumed until I read this thread that children's fares applied until children left school......

[SSM]

Twinkle, unfortunately even though you can use a student railcard before 9.30, ther is a minimum charge of £12.50.

[Twinkle]

Gosh you would have to have quite a commute to run up £12.50

I am hoping that the economy will have picked up by the time my lot are in the Sixth Form...