SCHOOL bus fares in Blackburn and Darwen may be set for a rise.

Good news for bus companies. Bad news for children and parents.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said it wants to stamp out 'over-riding' -- where children travel past the bus stop they have paid for -- by introducing flat fares of 50p each way.

This would raise the amount parents spend on bus fares from £108,500 to around £135,000 per year.

Money, the council says, would be used to help maintain subsidies for buses in the future. But let us not lose sight of the real issue here -- safety. Headteacher of St Wilfrid's High School, Blackburn, David White, said the move is "dangerous". He said a price hike would almost certainly see more children walking to school in dark mornings.

A report to the council also states that a flat fare would make life easier for drivers because they could issue fares more quickly.

Before any decision is taken on increased fares, our elected representatives should ask themselves two questions:

Are they happy with more children walking to school as a result of the increase?

Will they take full responsibility should anything happen to a child who should have been on a bus but could not afford to be?

We suspect not. And that is why they need to go back to the drawing board.