A BUS service running to two secondary schools in Thornbury and one in Wotton has temporarily been saved.
But its future is unclear, leaving parents and pupils anxious about how they will get to school every day.
The 918 service was due to be axed this July, but will now continue for the next academic year too.
South Gloucestershire Council has agreed to spend £240,000 of its reserves to continue funding the service, as well as keeping the 84/85 bus running until this September.
The 918 runs from Severn Beach and Pilning to the Castle School in Thornbury and Marlwood School in Alveston, and is open to all members of the public.
Meanwhile, the 84/85 connects places like Cromhall and Hawkesbury Upton with jobs and services in Wotton and Yate - and also connects pupils to Katharine Lady Berkeley's .
Many people rely on the buses, council bosses were told during a cabinet meeting on Monday, February 5.
The cabinet later voted to take the money out of the council’s reserves and keep the buses going.
Caroline Brewser, a parent of children at the Castle School, said: “I’m here as a parent of children at the Castle School to represent at least 60 families living in the area between Severn Beach and the school.
"Between us we have around 85 children at the Castle School, including the sixth form.
“All these young people depend on public transport to travel to and from school, a significant number of them using the bus twice a day, five days a week.
"Words cannot express how grateful the families are for the funding currently provided by South Gloucestershire Council to operate our bus, the 918.
“It enables local children to travel safely and punctually and develop an important sense of independence and responsibility.
"It is well-used every day and the bus company is keen to continue to provide this service.
"To us, this is not just a bus, it is an essential and fundamental part of our daily existence.”
However, it’s unclear what will happen when the temporary funding runs out.
The council only has a limited amount of money in its reserves, and needs to find a more long-term solution to keep the buses going.
Bus routes which don’t make a profit for operators are often subsidised by local councils, such as in South Gloucestershire.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Willmore, cabinet member for planning, regeneration and infrastructure, said: “I’m really sorry that all we could do at the minute is give you another year.
"But it’s another year, and it’s another year of trying to persuade the [West of England Combined Authority] to prioritise the service, or even better to give us back the 622.
“Step number one last May was hanging onto the buses that were about to fall off the cliff edge.
"Step number two will then be beginning to have that rational conversation about how we get back connectivity for villages and communities.
"There are other places that we want to aim to reconnect.”
Local councils in the West of England region pay a transport levy every year to the combined authority, to be spent on subsidised buses, as well as bus passes for elderly and disabled people.
But this year, despite rising costs to run services, the councils are not increasing how much they pay for the transport levy — meaning more cuts to services could soon be coming.
South Gloucestershire Council will pay just over £4 million for its share of the transport levy in the next financial year beginning this April.
The cabinet was asked if this was a fair amount, given the pressures on many routes across the district.
Cllr Willmore added: “The question of whether it’s a fair contribution at the minute is not the relevant question.
"The question at the minute is: what’s the best way to get money into our bus services in South Gloucestershire to keep them.
“The money we’ve just approved to keep the 918 and 84/85 going, had we put that into an increased levy to WECA, then the amount WECA would have been in a position to spend on our buses would not have saved those two buses.
"So at the minute, there is a disincentive in the system to increase the levy.
“We get more bang for our buck if we spend the money directly. That shouldn’t be the position but it currently is, unfortunately.”
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