A DUNFERMLINE mum has hit out after she discovered Fife Council have stopped a scheme offering discounted school bus travel.

The parent, from Duloch, only found out about the change when she attempted to buy her daughter's pass in preparation for her return to school.

Since starting at Dunfermline High, she had been told she was eligible for the Scholar's Discount Scheme which gives pupils under 14 who are living between one and two miles from their school a third off their fare.

However, the council confirmed they have withdrawn the discretionary initiative as part of their efforts to reduce demand for public transport.

"It is shocking," said the mum, who did not want to be named. "We have not been informed. I can afford to pay it but there are others who cannot and, for me, it is doing the right thing by people.

"Normally what you do is you go to the bus station, hand in the letter and get the discount. I went to the bus station and noticed it was shut. I had to email and she phoned me back and said the discount had been stopped because of COVID.

"Families need it more now than ever. People out there will have lost their jobs and will struggle to get their child to school. No-one has written to us to say it is being stopped. When she started S1, we got a letter to say she gets a discount until December 2021 but that has now been taken away."

Shelagh McLean, head of education and children’s services, said they decided to suspend the scheme as part of their COVID-19 recovery plans.

“The reason for this was to reduce demand on public transport, to ensure sufficient spaces for pupils entitled to free school transport," she explained. “We are encouraging pupils, where possible, to walk, cycle or scoot to school – relieving pressure on public transport and our roads.

“We’re sorry we didn’t let parents know in advance that this discount scheme was to be suspended. Next term, we’ll review this decision to see if there’s enough capacity to reinstate it.”