Furious parents are preparing to battle the county council over plans to scrap free transport to and from faith schools from next year.

Hertfordshire County Council currently provides free transport to 98 faith schools across the county but estimates that it could save £3.4 million over the next six years by abandoning the existing arrangement next September.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chair of governors at Hertsmere Jewish Primary School in Radlett said parents at the school were very concerned by the proposals.

"There are good reasons for the provision of free faith school transport," she said. "Pupils at faith schools are drawn from a wider geographical area and there are no direct public transport links.

"Parents will be left with no option but to use their car but the school car park is not adequate and we don't want to encourage hundreds more private vehicles up and down Watling Street."

The county council has a legal obligation to provide free school transport to pupils who have not got a safe route to walk to school, within three miles of the pupil's home, or two miles for those under eight.

In addition, the council has had a long-standing commitment to provide free transport to "all children attending their nearest maintained faith school if they have a place there in line with their parents' beliefs".

This applies to children over eight who live more than three miles from school and under eight who live more than two miles from school. This provision could end if the proposals are given the go-ahead.

John Metcalf, Labour county councillor for Borehamwood North, said: "I am aware there may be difficulties for people from Borehamwood who want to go to school elsewhere but in my view it is a choice and if you don't go to the nearest school you can't expect other people to subsidise your choice."

The county council has no duty to provide transport on the basis of faith preference, and says the proposed changes will mean all pupils and parents are treated equally, as well as bringing about significant savings.' Conservative councillor for Watling, Martin Saunders, said the issue of faith school transport costs was a thorny one which needed to be reviewed. He stressed that the proposed changes did not target any one faith in particular.

"I think in the current day and age it is harder to justify special treatment for this, but I don't like having to say that as a practising Anglican myself," he said.

"The issue of free faith school transport is very complex but I think it may be time we have to say no to this. It doesn't mean the children have to go by car. The county will organise buses if there is a demand but it may be on a payment basis."

Mrs Hilsenrath said: "We think free home to school transport for faith schools shouldn't be removed without explaining the provision for alternative solutions, and at the moment we have not been given any. This would cause serious problems for our school community and have an impact on parents, their voices should be heard."

The council is running a public consultation on the proposals until June 9 and there will be a public meeting at Hertswood School's lower site, in Cowley Hill, Borehamwood, on Monday at 7.30pm.