THREE school buses serving Accrington are set to be scrapped by Lancashire County Council because they are costing too much money.
Transport bosses, who spend more than £40,000 subsidising the services, are recommending that the 873 and 879 buses be axed in an attempt to cut costs.
The afternoon 874 service running to Gloucester Avenue also looks likely to face the chop but the morning service will continue running.
The buses serve Peel Park Primary School, St Anne's and St Joseph's RC Primary School and The Hollins Technology College, and the changes would come into effect from September.
Officials at Lancashire County Council claim that not enough children are using the buses and that under new guidelines at least 40 per cent of the cost of running a service must come from ticket sales.
But the 867 service from Rishton to Mount Carmel RC Science College via St Christopher's High School, both Accrington, is set to be saved despite needing a £21,336 subsidy.
Elaine Richards, headteacher of St Anne's and St Joseph's Primary School, faces losing the 873 service and the afternoon 874 service. She said hundreds of parents had signed a petition against the proposed cuts and that some of her students would be forced to change schools if the services were scrapped.
She said: "I feel so upset for our parents. They have chosen us as their school on the understanding that the school buses were provided. We cover a wide catchment area and are not on a bus route.
"I feel very frustrated and cannot understand why they are cancelling half of the 874 service. It means we can get our children into school but can't get them home."
County Councillor Tony Martin, Cabinet member for sustainable development and responsible for transport, said a final decision on the bus contracts should be made later this week.
He said: "The difficulty with these buses is that very few people actually use them. For example, it is impossible to run services for seven children when it's costing £25,000. There is a £500,000 overspend on our transport budget and we cannot go on doing that forever."
