IN the revived row over school bus fares rising this week by up to 100 per cent, it may seem that the increases have been driven through with only token public consultation and that they were a foregone conclusion.

Certainly, the changes, which affect pupils in Blackburn and Darwen, were initially due to come in with no consultation at all.

It was only opposition councillors' protests at this that won a postponement of their introduction -- and scope for parents and others to comment.

And it was not as if there was a shortage of considerations. They ranged from concerns about children from low-income homes being forced to walk to and from school and getting soaked in the rain to the unfairness of the new flat-rate fare on those travelling shorter distances than others.

Yet, did people avail themselves of the opportunity to influence the proposals? Hardly -- the council received just one letter about them.

It may be that the consultation process was nominal -- in that regeneration boss Councillor Andy Kay declared at the outset that if nothing material emerged from it, he would press on with the new fares and that his decision could not be referred back to the council's executive board.

But is that not the sort of bulldozing behaviour that is encouraged if people do not bother to protest or get involved? And if parents are now upset over the new fares, have they not only themselves to blame?