A Tauranga mother faces the undesirable decision of sending her children to school hungry or finding cost-effective alternatives to the school bus, with the city's free system to be scrapped.

From Term 1, 2015, children catching a bus will have to pay $1.60 – or $1.15 with a Smartride Card – following the Ministry of Education decision to pull funding for the free service.

Two Tauranga Girls' College students outside the school's bus depot ahead of next year's changes to school bus fees. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

About 5200 of Tauranga's estimated 23,000 students use free buses, with Bay of Plenty Regional Council to implement a new Schoolhopper network – costing $3million annually – to fill the gap.

But impending changes has one Tauranga mother believing the extra financial burden will hit the family hard.

The solo parent, who spoke anonymously to SunLive, has two girls at Tauranga Girls' College and says the cost of one-way fares is 'ridiculous”.

'It's going to make things extremely difficult, not just for me, but other families,” she says.

The mother, on a low income, says an extra $23 a week for her girls on top of other school costs means her food bill will most likely take a hit.

She adds; 'I'm going to have to make some drastic cutbacks but I don't know where as my mortgage, rates, power and phone bill are all fixed charges.

'The only flexible thing I've got is the food money.”

BOPRC transport policy manager Garry Maloney says the fares outlined are one-way and bus stops for Schoolhopper routes are being decided.

He adds informing parents of affected school children is a priority for BOPRC and it's ensuring all information is readily available.

Tauranga Girls' College deputy principal Leonie Summerville says it's clear families living where Bay Hoppers operate, with several children going to different schools, will be coming to terms with the change.

Leonie says: 'The advisory board and groups working with it have thought long and hard in mitigating what is to be a comprehensive change for some.”

'It is a relief that in our area the Tauranga Transport Network Group will still be able to operate school buses from country areas; although there are ongoing issues within this group too, in terms of eligibility for free transport.”

Students travelling from Te Puke and Papamoa to TGC face higher prices.

Te Puke is set at $3.90 per trip, a discounted rate of $34 for 10 trips or $285 per term. For Papamoa it costs $280 a term, $30 weekly or $40 for 10 trips.