The BBCA mum said she was “horrified” after testing a council-proposed school walking route after it said some children would no longer be eligible for free transport.
Surrey County Council (SCC) has told parents of 81 children in West Molesey that free buses to Esher High School will end after identifying safer walking routes of less than three miles (5km).
Parent Plamina Naidinova, who experienced the route “in broad daylight”, said she was “terrified” and that it was “dangerous, muddy and isolated”.
The SCC told parents in a letter that the route was “found to be safe” by its safe travel team, explaining that “the road safety of the route with a child is considered”.
Children who live more than three miles (5 km) from their nearest school are eligible for free buses.
The new route, across the heath and along the River Mull, brings the distance below that mark, meaning the group no longer qualifies for the service.
Ms Nedinova added: “The walk took 83 minutes, which I think is unacceptable for children to walk twice a day.”
Fellow parent Kate Maxwell added: “I’ve walked on it in the past and feel very unsafe as an adult, so I don’t know how it can be considered safe for a child.
“I believe it’s actually quite dangerous. There are areas of health where you lose network coverage.”
The SCC, which said it spent around £65m a year on school transport, said local authorities were “not legally bound to provide free transport simply because parents want personal safety and security. deems the route unsafe based on”.
She told parents that case law says reviews “must only look at the relationship between pedestrians and traffic.”
Councilor Clare Curran, cabinet member for education, has previously said: “We are not suggesting that families have to use this route to get to school; they should use other independent routes or modes of transport. Welcome.”