American-style yellow school buses could be introduced in Sussex.

The buses, a familiar sight in American movies and television shows like The Simpsons, would be used to ferry children directly from their homes to their schools and back in a bid to discourage parents from making unnecessary car trips.

West Sussex County Council's transport councillor Tex Pemberton has been selected to sit on a national commission headed by former Home Secretary David Blunkett which will consider the possibility of introducing the buses across the UK.

The council said Mr Pemberton was also considering whether to bring more of the vehicles into the county, where nine have been used in various areas since 1996.

Horsham MP Francis Maude said he welcomed the initiative.

He said: "It is well worth considering. We all want school runs to be done in a way that is environmentally friendly and does not cause congestion. If it can be made to work it is an excellent idea."

Mr Maude added that there would have to be serious considerations of the costs of bringing in school buses before any scheme went ahead.

The cross-party commission has been briefed to consider US style systems as a way of cutting pollution and congestion.

It has been set up by bus company First Group Plc, which operates yellow buses in the UK and in North America.

Members are due to publish a report next spring following a nationwide consultation with parents, teachers and children.

Coun Pemberton said: "All the research nationally shows that parents do want a viable alternative to the twice daily school run, and we can certainly learn a great deal from the North America experience."

At the launch of the commission Mr Blunkett said: "We will evaluate the best ways of delivering this sort of service and be making recommendations on how we match the US in the proportion of children who get to school in this way."

The council said the buses were considered a safe mode of transport for children because they provided a near door-to-door service.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it did not have any plans for a widespread introduction of school buses in the near future.

The council currently subsidises a number of buses specifically to carry children from housing areas to school.

Their routes will be reviewed this summer, coinciding with the introduction of new catchment areas.

Brighton and Hove City Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, responsible for transport, said: "Obviously anything that takes parent's cars off the road would be good but I don't think it would necessarily be right for Brighton.

"This is the second most densely packed city in the country and most children live closer to their schools than those in a more rural place like West Sussex."

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