Free school transport

If you do not meet the criteria for free school transport, you may apply for concessionary school transport using the concessionary school transport application form within the documents section.

Whilst it is the parents’ responsibility to secure their children’s education East Dunbartonshire Council is happy to help you get your child of school age to school, safety and on time. That is why school crossing patrols are provided and we operate a school transport policy which is more generous than the law requires.

Indeed our home to school transport provision is amongst the most generous of any Scottish local authority. The policy states that we provide FREE school transport if:

• Your child lives one mile or more away from his/her catchment area primary school (by the shortest safe walking route)
• Your child lives three miles or more away from his/her catchment area secondary school (by the shortest safe walking route)
• Your child has a medical condition that is supported by a letter from your GP
• Your child has been assessed to attend a school to meet the requirements of his/her additional support needs. These assessments involve education’s psychological services who, in liaison with the school, also recommend appropriate transport arrangements.
• Your child has to walk a route, which after seeking advice from the EDC Traffic Officer, is considered by the education office to be unsafe for a child to walk, when accompanied by an adult.

The education office identifies the need for the provision. For primary and secondary schools we work through Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) who engage the operators to provide free school transport for pupils with additional support needs the education office undertakes all arrangements.

The choice of the precise mode of transport depends on a variety of factors and is decided by the education office after taking all circumstances into account. This can result in any of the following:

• Dedicated school contract bus (services solely for pupils)
• Bus pass on local service bus (which can either be a commercial service or subsidised local service also carrying members of the public)
• Rail pass on service train
• Taxi or private hired car and minibus
• The council’s own school transport vehicles.

Free transport normally covers one return journey, to school in the morning and home at the end of the school day.

If your child is starting primary school you should apply when you enrol him or her for school. If your child is going into secondary school you should apply in April of his or her last year at primary school. You can apply at a later time but there could be a delay while arrangements are being made.

Should you move house at any time during the year a fresh application for transport must be made.

If you wish to appeal against any decision made regarding your application for school transport, you may do so by writing to the Chief Education Officer who is responsible for school transport at the address shown on the next page of this leaflet, indicating the grounds on which you wish to appeal.

We would ask you to encourage your child to behave properly and safely when boarding and travelling on the transport and alighting from it. As parents/guardians you are responsible for ensuring that your child arrives at the pick up point on time and is collected from the drop off point at the end of the return journey.

A guide to the responsibilities of pupils and parents/carers.

Putting safety first

East Dunbartonshire Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport are working with transport operators to provide the best possible service to school pupils and their families. Our main concern on services to and from schools is the safety and welfare of all pupils, other users and staff. To maintain high safety standards, we rely on the good behaviour of pupils and that’s exactly what we get from the vast majority. Unfortunately, there is a small percentage of pupils whose behaviour falls below acceptable standards. The aim of this leaflet is to improve these standards by explaining exactly what is and what is not acceptable behaviour. It also outlines the responsibilities of all pupils and their parents/carers. Finally, it describes the sanctions that may be taken against pupils who fail to behave responsibly. 

Parents and carers are encouraged to take time to read over this leaflet with their child and ensure they under¬stand its content. 

Everybody benefits – responsible behaviour makes life easier for everybody. So remember, when you’re travelling to and from school, follow these simple rules.

How to be a model passenger 

Pupil’s responsibilities

• Arrive at the pick-up point in good time
• Behave sensibility and stand on the pavement at the pick-up point while waiting for the transport to arrive
• When the transport arrives, wait for it to stop completely before trying to get on
• Do not push and shove or rush for the door
• Board the transport in an orderly manner and if you have a pass have it ready
• If you have a pass, it should be produced when boarding the transport
• If your transport doesn’t turn up in the morning within 20 minutes of your usual pick-up time you should return home or to a destination advised by your parents or carers. If the transport doesn’t turn up in the afternoon you should return to the school
• Do not run after a moving vehicle.

On the transport

• Find a seat and remain seated for the duration of your journey
• Wear a seat belt at all times if there is one available
• Standing is not allowed except in an emergency situation
• Do not stand on the platform, stair or top deck
• If you experience or witness bullying on the transport please report it to the school.

Getting off the transport

• Wait until the vehicle has stopped before you try to get off
• Do not push as you leave the transport
• If you have to cross a road make sure you cross at a safe point and not immediately in front or behind the transport
• Make sure you have a clear view of the road in both directions.

Do

• Stay seated while the vehicle is moving
• Wear seat belts where fitted
• Always behave in a responsible and orderly manner
• Respect the needs of other users
• When the driver or other staff makes a reasonable request, always follow this advice
• Enter and leave the vehicle by the correct door. 

Don’t

• Do not smoke, vape, swear, spit or drop litter
• Do not damage the vehicle in any way
• Do not ring the bell unnecessarily or tamper with the emergency exit
• Do not write graffiti on the vehicle
• Do not throw objects around or out of the vehicle or at the school transport vehicle
• Do not distract the driver
• Do not act in a silly or dangerous manner.

Parent/Carer responsibilities

It is your responsibility to:

• Ensure your child’s safety to and from the pick-up point - the transport does not wait at drop off point when dropping pupils off, you must be at the drop off point in time for transport arriving
• Ensure your child behaves on school transport
• Co-operate with the school and Education Authority if your child is having behavioural problems on school transport
• Ensure your child does not leave home without the appropriate pass (if they have one) – passes will be checked on school services
• Encourage your child to understand the section explaining pupil’s responsibilities
• Support any sanctions taken by the school or Education Authority in the event of misbehaviour on school transport
• Make sure your child knows what to do in the event the transport fails to arrive
• Make sure your child knows the importance of wearing a seat belt at all times if there is one available. 

Sanctions 

• Parents/carers may receive a formal letter of complaint about their child’s behaviour from the school or Education Authority
• Pupils may be excluded from school and/or school transport on a temporary or permanent basis as a result of serious or repeated misbehaviour
• Parents/carers may be asked by the operator to pay for any damages caused to the transport
• Serious incidents may be reported to the police. 

Please note: CCTV cameras are fitted to some school transport vehicles. Footage from CCTV may be used during investigation in relation to misconduct.

Driver’s responsibilities

• In adverse weather conditions drivers MUST liaise with Head Teachers to ensure the safety of the children
• In periods of snow and ice the driver must use their discretion to decide if a road is passable or not. They should endeavour to choose a route which gives the greatest number of children a reasonable chance of getting to school safely
• At their own discretion drivers may abandon a morning journey and return all pupils already picked up to their homes and inform the relevant Head Teacher concerned
• On homeward journeys pupils shall only be set down at their normal vehicle set down point. If there is a possibility that the vehicle will be unable to take the pupils to that point, contingency plans should be made with the Head Teacher
• In the event that transport cannot continue due to blocked roads or any other obstruction, children will be instructed to stay in the vehicle until rescue can be organised.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport/East Dunbartonshire Council’s responsibilities

• SPT will contact a Senior Officer within EDC to advise of difficulties with transport
• Senior Officer will contact Head Teachers
• Head Teachers to contact parents/carers, where possible by text message (at peak times there may be delays due to volume across local authorities)
• In the event of journey being abandoned, Head Teachers will advise the driver of any change to normal home address
• At the beginning of every session, the school should update the contact details for all parents/carer for pupils accessing school transport. This will allow school office staff to inform parents/carers immediately of changes due to adverse weather
• If the inclement weather is continuous, the school will update their website on a daily basis.

Parent/Carer Responsibilities

• To ensure child/children are at designated pick-up point (please note that in adverse weather this may differ from original point, Head Teacher will advise)
• If concerns regarding bus arrival, contact bus operator and/or school
• Parents/carers should ensure that they notify the school of any changes to their contact details
• If they have not already done so, parents/carers are advised to register for the text messaging alert system within their child’s school
• Where inclement weather is present and it is probable that the current pick-up point is unlikely to be accessed, parents/carers should take a common sense approach and their child/children should be taken or directed to the closest accessible pick up point within a reasonable distance.

Misbehaviour could result in your child losing the right to free transport. The responsibility of ensuring safe and acceptable behaviour remains yours while your child is travelling in the vehicle provided. In the case of misbehaviour, the driver may retain children’s tickets/passes for the identification of pupils involved. The incident will then be reported to the driver’s supervisor. Details will be sent to the head teacher which may result in your child losing the right to free travel either on a temporary or permanent basis. During this period parents/guardians will be responsible for making their own arrangements for the attendance of their child at school. Assurance will be sought from you on your child’s good conduct prior to the return of the free travel pass. In cases of serious or repeated misbehaviour the head teacher has the right to implement exclusion procedures.

If you have any enquires about the eligibility of your child for transport please contact the Head of Education at the address shown on the next page of this leaflet. Parents who have any concern or complaint connected to the provision of school transport may contact the school their child attends by telephone giving the details, which will then be recorded and submitted to SPT. (Parents may also complain direct to SPT in writing to reinforce their concerns). SPT will respond direct to parents and advise the school on the outcome of their investigations. SPT is responsible for securing primary and secondary school contracts and for their day-to-day operation. SPT actively monitors the performance of school transport contracts through the deployment of a team of specialist inspectors. To assist with monitoring, SPT welcomes the raising of any issues of concern by schools or by parents. SPT can be contacted at the address shown in the next section of this page.

Ombudsman

The Council takes all complaints very seriously. We work hard to make sure that we deal with them promptly and effectively. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman. The time limit for making a complaint to the Ombudsman is usually 12 months.

The Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
Freepost EH641
Edinburgh
EH3 0BR

Tel: 0800 377 7330
Text: 0790 049 4372
Fax: 0800 377 7331
Email: ask@spso.org.uk

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) website

East Dunbartonshire Council
Shared Services – Transactional Finance
Suite S4
Strathkelvin Place
Kirkintilloch
G66 1XT
0141 578 8713

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)
Bus Agencies’ Section
131 St Vincent Street
Glasgow
G2 5JF
0141 333 3256

To view the School Transport Policy visit the Policy on the provision of school transport.

Our Transport Team co-ordinates transport to school and specialist provision for children and young people with additional support needs in East Dunbartonshire.

Generally a request for transport is made by the Head Teacher. In some cases where pupils are placed in schools outwith East Dunbartonshire, the Educational Psychologist will liaise with the Transport Team.

Modes of school transport

• Dedicated contract bus - a service provided solely for use by school pupils
• Taxi, private hire car or mini-bus
• Car mileage expenses for parents/carers interested in transporting their child.

Please note that all drivers/escorts are checked by Disclosure Scotland as to their suitability and codes of conduct are issued to operators.

Additional support needs

If your child has any of the following additional support needs they may be entitled to transport to school:

• Physical needs
• Social & emotional needs
• Medical needs
• Autistic spectrum needs
• Mental health needs
• Needs arising from general developmental delay.

If additional planning is required for your child relating to transport to school, their Head Teacher and/or Educational Psychologist will discuss their requirements during a Pupil Support Group or Support for all meeting. In such cases the transport requirements of the pupil will be discussed as part of the regular support planning review process and will include parents/carers and any other relevant agencies. In some circumstances, this will lead to the development of a transport plan or risk assessment which will be passed to the transport team.

We plan well in advance when renewing contracts with transport providers for children with additional support needs to ensure that their needs continue to be met by the transport to school service.

Complaints procedures

If you have any questions or would like to lodge a complaint about transport to school please contact your child’s Head Teacher who will liaise with the Transport Team.

Further information

East Dunbartonshire Transport Team
F4 Southbank Marina
6 Strathkelvin Place Kirkintilloch
G66 1XT

Tel: 0141 578 8713

Email: transport.ema@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

• All drivers / escorts employed on school / social work transport contracts have been cleared with Disclosure Scotland as suitable for employment.
• All drivers / escorts shall be required, at all times, while engaged in work under this contract, to carry and to display identity badges. This identity badge will be issued by the authority following the decision that the individual is suitable to act under the terms of this contract.
• All vehicles shall display clearly, a sign printed with the words “Transport Contract” (issued by EDC)
• Licensed taxis are under no obligation to use car / booster seats and, if you wish your child to travel in a car / booster seat, you will be required to supply this yourself.

All school transport contracts maintained by East Dunbartonshire Council are specified to ensure that any dedicated bus or coach used must be fitted with seatbelts. This applies to vehicles used for home to school transport and for all school trip transport services.

Where a vehicle with 9 to 16 passenger seats is used, 3-point lap and diagonal belts must be fitted for each seat position. The seat belts and their installation shall meet the relevant standards set by the Department for Transport (DFT) and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) and if requested by the Council.

The contractor shall supply proof of the relevant seat belt test certification if requested. Where a vehicle with 17 or more passenger seats is used, either a 3-point lap and diagonal or lap belts must be fitted for each seat position.

As agents for the management of school contracts, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) monitor contract compliance through roadside inspections along with inspections carried out at the schools.

For all school contracts managed by East Dunbartonshire Council, where a seat belt is provided on a vehicle, there is a requirement for the pupils to use the restraint and to remain seated during the journey.

Drivers and escorts (where applicable) are aware of legal responsibilities for the wearing of seatbelts on school transport vehicles and endeavour to ensure that pupils remain seated with seatbelts fastened during the journey. Any difficulty experienced in gaining co-operation from pupils in the wearing of seatbelts is reported to the school. Details of sanctions are available in the 'Safe School Travel' leaflet. The drivers also ensure that all pupils have their seatbelts fastened before the vehicle drives off.

In line with best practise, schools will work in partnership with parents/carers and the Council to ensure the wearing of seatbelts by pupils on all school transport journeys is complied with.

This information is provided to parents for children who use transport provided by the Council in the 'Safe School Travel' leaflet.