CAMPAIGNERS say they are “disappointed” their school transport proposals have been ignored by Oxfordshire County Council.

The Oxon School Bus Action Group (OSBAG) had suggested “catchment transport areas” within which pupils would be bussed to school for free.

But these proposals were not taken up by the authority, which wants to offer free transport only to children going to their nearest school.

Sue Moon, founder of OSBAG, said: “We are disappointed that despite a number of meetings and much correspondence, the council has flatly rejected our compromise around catchment areas.

“It’s clear that if it adopts the proposals, it will redraw school catchment areas across the county.

“We have suggested introducing catchment transport areas, a concept which has successfully been adopted in comparable, rural counties and which would address our primary concerns.”

Shutford parent Andrew Baud said: “This would preserve the principle of catchment areas which are an incredibly important aspect of how education is organised in this county and many others.

“There are a lot of long-standing relationships between primary and secondary schools.

“I am disappointed that all the feedback has been ignored. The council has not taken on any of the strength of feeling.”

At the moment pupils can get a free bus to school unless it is within walking distance but the county council wants to cut this back as it tries to make £61m of savings to its budget.

Instead the council has put forward two options, which would save up to £2m, after postponing the plans several months ago.

The first option would mean children could only get free transport to their nearest school while the other would feature “travel areas” within which some pupils who live close to two schools could be bussed to either.

Earlier this year the county council caused outrage after it proposed charging eligible parents up to £584 a year if they did not send their child to the nearest school.

The earliest the proposals could come into force would be September 2015 but they could be phased in more gradually if the second option is chosen.

County council spokesman Owen Morton said: “The potential ‘splitting’ of villages under the ‘nearest school only’ proposal was one of the issues raised during the previous consultation, and we have included the second option as a possible means of addressing these concerns.

“Although the campaigners’ proposal would reduce the risk to the council of having to meet additional transport costs caused by schools changing their admission arrangements, it wouldn’t deliver any savings.”

s A public consultation has been launched on the two options. To comment visit myconsultations. oxfordshire.gov.uk by December 20.