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AIBU?

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Original poster

Free School Buses

28 replies

Mrspotter12 · 22/03/2018 03:36

Do these exist outside of my area? A few threads bemoaning getting kids to school and cost / effort involved - my dd has a pass now she's in high. school but got a free bus while in primary.

OP posts:
OP posts:
Bellamuerte · 22/03/2018 04:40

They do exist in my area but are a nightmare for kids, it's like Lord of the Flies in a 20 minute bus trip. For their own safety I'd never let my DC get on a school bus.

Spam88 · 22/03/2018 04:43

I had a free school bus in secondary school because there was a part of the route to school where there was no foot path. School was rural so that applied to most people, but I had one friend who had to pay.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 22/03/2018 05:07

Yes it depends on the school and the catchment area its definately not something that applies to everyone. Never has been.

I think if your catchment school is passed 3 miles away you qualify.

My last primary school (i went to several) and my high school served several villiages. My primary school had 2 buses and my high school had 12. Most of us had free bus passes, however one of them served a bit of the catchment that was just within 3 miles and boardered the nearest city so there was a nearer school their parents could have chosen to send their kids too so they had to pay.

elliejjtiny · 22/03/2018 05:47

Not here. Buses to school cost a fortune round here and rarely turn up on time. We worked out it was cheaper for dh to drive them to breakfast club before work than it was for me to take them on the bus to school.

SquirmOfEels · 22/03/2018 06:36

The free entitlement is based on safe walking distance from the school, so much commoner in rural areas, when it makes sense to run a bus as there will be a number of pupils to bring in.

In London, ordinary buses are free whilst in education, and there are a few extra school services (they usually have a 6 as the first number and only run one or two buses morning and afternoon)

exLtEveDallas · 22/03/2018 06:38

DD gets a free school bus because it isn't safe to walk the route. It visits 7 different stops and takes about 30 minutes to do a 6 minute journey.

It's excellent though, and stops us having to battle the school run traffic that is horrendous where we live.

52FestiveRoad · 22/03/2018 06:40

My DC use the school buses, they love it actually, there are sometimes problems but the school sorts them out pretty quickly. They are not free, but they are convenient. The same route on a public bus would involve two buses and a much earlier start to accommodate the time taken by waiting for the second bus.

ShatnersBassoon · 22/03/2018 06:40

Free buses here, because of rural location and large catchment area. It's a real perk.

speakout · 22/03/2018 06:48

School buses here- secondary school.
The school has a bus bay which has 15 school buses all different routes, as well as mini buses and taxis.
Catchment is huge though and covers a wide rural area.

ReinettePompadour · 22/03/2018 06:53

We have free buses for the high schools but not primary.

Our town is unusual because it used to be 2 villages that met in the middle 100 years ago. If you live in the upper town you don't get a free school bus but in the lower town you do. Its based on distance.

I could purchase a seat on the school bus but its almost twice the price of using the public buses. The school bus is always late too. It regularly rolls in at 9am, the school has an 8.45 start time. Hmm The school used to have a 9am start but when they changed the school hours the bus company said they couldnt change their route times because of a clash with the public bus service.

We dont use the bus service. Its cheaper and much quicker to drive the 8 miles in to the school ourselves but some parents don't have that option.

notsomanky · 22/03/2018 06:58

No free school buses here at all - I pay £95 a month for the buses to get my kids to school.

In the summer 2 of them will walk, but its a couple of miles so in bad weather unless they want to get to school drenched they need to get the school bus.

One of them could use the local bus service, but the fare would be more or less the same.

QueenofLouisiana · 22/03/2018 07:21

They do here- although the service is under review. You need to be 3 miles away from your allocated school (for high school at least). We pay £300ish per term as we live 3.8 miles from the school we chose- not the allocated school. I’d have to pay similar to get DS to the other school as I am 2.9 miles from that, apparently walking along a road with no lights, through an abandoned airfield with lorries whooshing past is a safe route in winter.

speakout · 22/03/2018 07:22

Do all LAs have a duty to provide free school transport in certain conditions?

I am thinking about my kids school- 60% of them ( still in the catchment) live more than 4 miles away.

Is it up to parents to pay or get them to school?
What if they don't have transport or can't afford to pay?

Our secondary school services a rural community- many small villages, I know of several families who don't drive, and there is no direct bus to school.
They would struggle without a school bus.

milkjetmum · 22/03/2018 07:35

Free bus here for primary, rural village with school in neighbouring villages and no safe walking route. Only a 5minute hop but did feel strange in reception. Not without issues (both kids behaviour and driver diligence) but better since change in bus company contract this school year.

ParisUSM · 22/03/2018 07:38

Free bus here for pupils from a village. Oddly they don't give out passes but it is one of those places where everyone knows each other.

Ginorchoc · 22/03/2018 07:40

I have to pay £1054 a year for my daughter high school bus pass.

speakout · 22/03/2018 07:40

Our local primary school has a free taxi service for some kids living less than a mile away- but not a safe walk.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 22/03/2018 07:40

If you don’t get your first choice school, and it was the closest in distance to your home, you can get free transport. BUT, you have to apply to get it and hardly anyone knows because the local authority do not obviously advertise it too much.

dalmatianmad · 22/03/2018 07:48

We pay £1,095 for the school bus a year.
I choose to send my ds to a catholic school which is approx 7 miles away.
If you're on benefits it's free

Frusso · 22/03/2018 07:50

Have them in my area. Catchment school over 3 miles, or catchment School under 3 miles but unsafe to walk.

Also buses to non catchment schools you can buy a place onto.

0h · 22/03/2018 07:54

Free bus here, if you live 2+ miles away.

We live almost 5 miles away. Would cost about £330 for a bus pass so thank god for the school bus. Plus a normal bus would take much longer.

If we'd chosen a non-catchment school there'd have been no bus pass though.

speakout · 22/03/2018 08:58

So basically every child that needs transport gets it free for their catchment school?
That's fair.

BitchQueen90 · 22/03/2018 09:05

The bus when I was at secondary school was 50p per journey.

I live in a different area now and I don't have a clue what the bus set up is for the schools. Not an issue for us luckily though as we live a 10 minute walk from the primary and a 15/20 minute walk from both secondaries.

notsomanky · 25/03/2018 20:54

speakout my three all go to catchment schools but we have to pay.

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