AN Upton mum is angry that the cost of bus travel for her son to get to school has gone up 33 per cent.

Last school year, sixth-former Edward Williams had to pay £412 for bus transport to Hanley Castle High School, where he is studying for A-levels.

But mum Kim Williams was outraged when she opened a letter from Worcestershire County Council last Thursday telling her the family would have to pay £547 this year.

She said: "That's an increase of 33 per cent, which is an incredible amount.

"I was expecting it to go up, because prices are increasing, but I thought it would be something like a five per cent increase.

"There was no hint that these would be an increase of this size. It's taken us totally by surprise and now we'll have find the extra money."

Edward, aged 17, is studying for A-levels in physics, chemistry, maths and design technology. His older brother is a student at St John's College, Cambridge.

"At a time when teenagers are being encouraged to stay on at school and study, it's off-putting to have to find a chunk of money like this suddenly," said Mrs Williams. "It's not a great incentive for them to stay on in the sixth-form."

Colin Weeden of the county council said the amount parents contribute to school transport is reviewed each year to reflect increases in the cost of transport.

"The average cost of a seat on a contracted vehicle is £842 per annum therefore the new rates are £405 for under-16s and £547 for post-16s," he said.

"Although this does mean a rise for under-16s, it equates to £2.13 a day for the 190 school days in the year, which is just over £1 per journey, and represents around 50 per cent of the real cost For post 16 pupils it equates to £2.90 a day which represents around 66 per cent of the real cost."

In March last year, the county council's cabinet agreed that the contribution rate should be based on parents paying 48 per cent of the average cost of a seat for pupils aged under-16 and 65 per cent for post-16 students.

Termly and half termly tickets are available at a pro-rata calculation plus an admin fee to re-issue new bus passes.

These new prices apply from September 2010 for the 2010/11 academic year.

The same prices are being applied to Severn Shire bus cards. The subsidy level is not the same reflecting the fact that bus passes on commercial services are cheaper. Parents will be advised if that is the case to make sure they get the cheapest ticket for their individual circumstances.