A PETITION against controversial proposals to charge Ceredigion sixth-form pupils to travel to school has been handed in at the council offices in Aberaeron.

Campaigners handed in the petition, which has attracted hundreds of signatures, ahead of a meeting at Penmorfa.

The petition was started by the Ceredigion Green Party in res­ponse to a plan to charge post-16 pupils £390 a year to travel on buses to and from school and college from next year.

Campaigners were joined by students from the nearby Aberaeron secondary school.

One Year 10 pupil, Thomas Davies, told the Cambrian News that he was “deeply concerned” about the plans.

“Today (Tuesday, 26 April) I had a good discussion with Barry Rees about the fees that I and other students will have to pay for transport if the council decide to go ahead with their proposals.

“I am deeply concerned about the charge of £390 we may have to pay in 2017.

“There are many people who will not be able to afford this col­ossal amount of money.

“When I catch the bus to school every morning there are four buses which have spare seats on them.

“This is a terrible way for the council to run a bus service bec­ause it is inefficient and environmentally unfriendly.”

The controversial proposal to charge sixth-form pupils £390 a year to use the school bus was the subject of a consultation which ended in March.

The county council insisted such a charge was “reasonable” while admitting it could deter some youngsters from studying for their A-levels.

If brought in, the charge would be introduced in September 2017 and would include a similar charge for pupils who use ‘spare seats’ to get to school.

The plan would bolster the council’s coffers by around £440,000.