East Dunbartonshire Council works in conjunction with Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), the public transport organisation which contracts and monitors most of our free school transport. For children with additional support needs the education office undertakes all the transport arrangements.

The form of transport depends on a variety of factors and is decided by the education office after taking all circumstances into account.

The form of transport supplied could be one of the following:
 

• dedicated school contract bus (service solely for pupils)
• bus pass on local service bus (which can either be a commercial service or a subsidised local service that also carries members of the public)
• train pass on service train
• taxi, private hired car or minibus
• Council's own vehicles.

Free transport normally covers transport to school in the morning and transport from school to home in the afternoon. No additional provision is made for home journeys for Primary 1 children who may have a shorter day until September each year. In this instance, children not collected by parents are supervised until the end of the normal 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 February 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 should be made.

Application forms can be obtained from the education office (see below for address) or via the East Dunbartonshire website.

You will receive a letter from the education office telling you the outcome of your application. Staff at the office will be happy to discuss this decision, or any other matter connected with your child's application. You can contact the office at:

Community Directorate,
Southbank House,
Strathkelvin Way,
Kirkintilloch,
G66 1XQ

(Tel: 0141 578 8713)

If you wish to appeal against the decision made, please write to the Head of Education (address as above), stating clearly your reasons for appealing.

We would ask you to encourage your child to behave properly and safely when getting on, travelling and getting off the transport provided. As parents you are responsible for ensuring that your child arrives at the pick-up point on time. Any misbehaviour on the part of your child could lead to your child losing the right to free transport.

It may be possible for your child to get free transport to school, even if he/she does not meet the criteria. Usually this would be on a contracted school bus, where there are additional seats available after seats have been allocated to children who meet the criteria for free school transport.

Please note, however, that this transport may not be guaranteed for the whole school year. If more children apply for free school transport, it is possible that your child could lose his/her concessionary seat.

Where free transport is provided it may be necessary for students to walk a certain distance to the vehicle pick-up point. Walking distance in total, including the distance from home to the pick-up point and from the drop-off point to the school in any one direction, will not exceed the authority's limits (see paragraph above). It is the parent's responsibility to ensure their child arrives at the pick-up point on time. It is also the parent's responsibility to ensure the child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and alighting from the vehicle. Misbehaviour could result in the child losing the right to free transport.

The education authority does not provide transport for students in receipt of a placing request other than in exceptional circumstances.

Transport is provided free of charge to all S5/S6 students involved in attending vocational classes at college.

In most cases transport to the college leaves from the school and pupils are then required to make their own way home.  Pupils should retain their travel tickets (bus or rail) on the days that they attend college and are required to complete a travel expenses claim form to reclaim out of pocket expenses for the cost of their travel.