Parents face huge rises in the cost of sending their children to school after councillors agreed to examine a series of swingeing budget cuts.

Hertfordshire County Council is planning a hefty reduction in the current £25 million a year it spends on subsidised school travel – a move that could cost many parents hundreds of pounds.

Members of the council’s ruling Conservative administration, who met yesterday, agreed to consult on preliminary proposals to slash transport spending by up to £6 million per year.

The plans, to be formalised after a 13-week public consultation, could see existing bus routes scrapped, subsidised annual fares increased and the cost of saver cards – which guarantee cut-price fares on third party buses – doubled from £10 to £20.

Subsidised travel for children at faith schools could also be scrapped.

According to council figures, families living between three and five miles from school could see annual costs rise from £588 to £1,000 if and when the changes are phased-in in 2013/14.

Many children, however, will be exempted from the cuts because they are protected by law. These include those who receive free school meals, disabled pupils or children with special educational needs.

Councillor Richard Thake, executive member for education, said the proposals were necessary in advance of swingeing public sector budget cuts announced by the Government – expected to be as high as 25 per cent in some areas. The council, he added, could not continue its previous generosity in such circumstances.

He said: “This is not something the local authority [Hertfordshire County Council] is doing willy nilly. We understand fully that there are huge benefits in public transport systems getting children to school. Parents will in many cases have made decisions on school places based on transport.

“But the message that we’re getting from government is that this is going to get worse. For us to sit on our hands and do nothing is not an option.”

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, deputy Liberal Democrat group leader, agreed that action had to be taken, saying transport spending “had grown out of all proportion” and needed to be examined.

Parents, schools, children and bus operators will all be asked to comment on a more detailed consultation document in October. A 13-week public consultation is scheduled to begin on October 18, with a series of public meetings planned in November.