To get a bus refund

She might find that she prefers the bus sometimes - travelling is time that is being used up anyway, once the novelty of driving has worn off a bit she might find it's useful to spend the time working on essays, doing reading for the course and so on.

This. It costs the college the same amount to run the bus all year regardless of how often your DD uses it.

Sucks in your situation, but I'm afraid that's what it boils down to.

I'd definitely look into selling the pass if she's not even going to use it occasionally.

YWU to not read the terms properly if everyone could just cancel whenever the collage would lose money

But I do have to laugh at all the posters saying she shouldn't be relying on driving when on another post a poster is getting grief for NOT driving and relying on public transport

Yes. No monthly option and it was annual. I do totally get the reasons for the terms and I wouldn't just cancel the DD. We had to pay a deposit of 20% at the beginning and then the monthly dd's. Buying the pass was the only way of getting her to college. Didn't expect her to pass so quickly and get a test before next year. Will suggest on full days to maybe take the bus and obviously it will be there if car broken down, or severe weather days when she doesn't want to drive in herself.

@sherryat4 I think that is a very good compromise. I can see why the college can only put on a bus for all the rural students if it can be cost effective for a whole (Academic) year, and therefore it is unreasonable to Not Pay less than you are contracted for - but it is still a real pain having to pay for it. You are not being unreasonable to be vexed that rural living costs so much more expensive. We are not rural, but semi-rural in the Central Belt of Scotland and even our public transport is abysmal and in places totally lacking, depending where you need to get to.

I am with your DD wanting to drive. I haven't set foot on a bus since i was 17 - you honestly couldn't pay me to now!

But you did get a discount for buying annual, its a shame they don't have a early buy out clause or something though.

@sherryat4 I get that it is difficult transport -wise in a Rural area and that is good news that she has passed her test and can now make better use of her time by driving herself

But yes, I'm sorry, but YABVVU to think this a completely ridiculous policy, especially for college students who are all taking their tests during the academic year and wont need a full year of bus travel. AND Yes YABU to cancel the DD and refuse to pay may more for the bus pass.

Out of curiosity, I assume that an Annual Bus Pass was the only way to get one and it couldn't be purchased as a monthly one?

I can see your point but you bought a yearly pass with the option to pay monthly rather than upfront. I'd suck it up and keep paying, otherwise the college will end up not offering the service at all. There may still be days when she wants to use the bus, e.g. if her car is in for repair.

The terms aren't silly though. You wanted a space on the bus for the whole year and the size of the bus was a direct result of the amount of people who needed a space e.g they had 30 people who needed a space so needed a bus with that many spaces.

That bus is still going to cost the same price all year even though you now don't want your daughter to use it. They don't magically get a discount because there's now only 29 seats needed.

The terms aren’t silly, they are entirely logical. The college needs to arrange the bus since it is put on specially for the students to get into the college and not a normal running service. Therefore they need commitment on the seat in order to allow your child to use it.
If you stop paying for your seat the bus still costs the same amount and the college take a financial hit, why would they leave themselves open to that?

I asume the college still has the costs associated with running the bus and as you bought an annual bis ticket you can't now say you don't want it.its annoying but yes you will unreasonable if you cancel the direct debit

You have effectively bought a years pass and are on a payment plan.

That's standard I'm afraid

Which makes it even more ridiculous that you signed up to a year long contract but that’s no one else’s fault.

Could you sell the ticket on to someone else or is it specifically in her name?

Cross posted!

I grew up rurally - very rurally. As in our closest neighbour was half a mile away. And had to get the provided bus to 6th form. The bus stop was not convenient. But we got into a routine and made it work. And sometimes it was a PITA.
But even when we passed our driving tests, we weren't allowed to drive to school (policy of the school), so we just had to get on with it. Loads of extra cars travelling to the same place, and needing parking, wasn't practical, so we all had to get the bus and work around the inconvenience.

I now live rurally - not as rural as before, but not where there is decent public transport. So I get it.

I can see that driving would be more convenient for her - but if that was always your plan, you shouldn't have looked more closely at what you were buying. So to answer your original question, no it's not reasonable to expect a refund.

I think your only option would be to 'sell' her seat on the bus to another student if you know somebody who didn't get one.

Otherwise, it's the expectation that you'll pay for the year if that's what you signed up for.

I am very well aware that public transport in this country is SHIT, and expensive at that. But in this instance there is a shared option, which was perfectly fine before Monday, so it will still be perfectly fine next week and beyond. If she'd failed her test (and the next, and the next), she'd be happily using the bus. And if you/she were so confident of her passing the test this early in the school year, you shouldn't have signed up for a year's bus pass!

This sums up what I was trying to say well. How come there's now about 20 reasons why she can't possibly use the bus that presumably would be still a perfectly reasonable option had she not passed her test.

Look the simple fact is if you want her to drive then let her drive but you of course should still pay for the bus pass it's not the college's fault you didn't read the terms and conditions and they are still providing a space on the bus which you've paid for.

So on the days she doesn't have a lecture/class first thing, she can use the library to do assignments etc. Same at the other end of the day. Or she can find other ways to occupy herself - use the gym, walk into town, etc etc.

Where there's a bus option to get to education, that should be the default (rather than driving). If we are encouraging 17 year olds to be driving everywhere as the first option, then we're setting up yet another generation who see cars as the only/main way to get anywhere.

I am very well aware that public transport in this country is SHIT, and expensive at that. But in this instance there is a shared option, which was perfectly fine before Monday, so it will still be perfectly fine next week and beyond. If she'd failed her test (and the next, and the next), she'd be happily using the bus. And if you/she were so confident of her passing the test this early in the school year, you shouldn't have signed up for a year's bus pass!

Surely it just makes sense for her to keep using the bus, especially as it works out cheaper?

I drive, but often use public transport instead, we should all be trying to get in the habit of it if we can. I appreciate public transport can be awful in this country and isn't an option for everyone, but if she's already got the bus pass and the service is convenient, I can't imagine why she'd choose to drive instead at greater cost?

Personally I'd probably cancel the DD and see what happens. My DD went to the college where I worked and I'd often give her lifts to college & home but she still had to get the college bus just a couple of times a week which still meant £80 a month for us