Under-fire school Freedom Pass changes backed by Kent county councillors despite protests
13:00, 24 April 2014
updated: 13:44, 24 April 2014
Controversial changes to the Kent Freedom Pass that will mean parents paying double what they used to have today been backed by county councillors.
Kent County Council faced a backlash after it first suggested there should be a cap on the bus pass, with parents expected to pay for travel once a £300 limit had been reached.
KCC then came up with an alternative scheme in the face of protests across the county.
From September, there will be a new scheme, called a Young Person's Travel Pass, which will cost £200 and be limited to use between Monday to Friday.
At a meeting of the county council's transport cabinet committee, opposition parties unsuccessfully called for a rethink.
They claimed more information was needed about the impact of the changes to both that scheme and a related pass for students over the age of 16, which is to cost £400.
But the proposal was rejected by the Conservative majority, who said any further delay would make it impossible to introduce the new scheme from September.
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