Guidelines for the provision of school services

Effective from December 2022

(You can download a copy of the following provision for your records 92KB PDF)

GUIDELINES FOR THE PROVISION OF SCHOOL SERVICES

As local authorities responsible for education in their areas, the five councils in West
Yorkshire have powers and responsibilities under the Education Acts to provide
transport for pupils.

As Local Transport Authority for West Yorkshire, the Combined Authority uses its
powers under the Transport Acts to provide socially necessary bus services. The
Combined Authority provides bus services which link communities with local schools
where the journey could not be made by walking, cycling, or established public
transport links. The Combined Authority assists the local councils providing a co-ordinated school transport service.

The following guidelines set out the principles and standards that the Combined
Authority will use in providing school buses under its Transport Act powers.

Services for Secondary Schools

A service may be provided or an existing service continued to a secondary school
where children are in Years 7 to 11, are attending a school within West Yorkshire,
live within a four-mile radius of the school (see Note 1), the public transport network
is considered unsuitable and the school is not within a reasonable walking distance
of their home address. This will be determined by reference to the following criteria:

• The walking distance is greater than 2.4 km (1.5 miles / 30-minute walk) by a
safe walking route (In urban areas this should be paved, lit with suitable
pedestrian crossing facilities – addresses in rural and semi-rural areas to be
considered on a case-by-case basis with reference to Road Safety GB
guidelines as necessary);

• The bus journey is greater than 1 hour 15 minutes in total (including changing
buses);

• More than one interchange is required;

• Interchange is not at a suitable location (bus stations / town centres and other
populated areas are considered suitable);

• In urban areas, the distance between the home address and the bus stop/rail
station is greater than 600m (up to 10-minute walk) – addresses in semi-rural
and rural areas to be considered on a case-by-case basis;

• The distance between school and the bus stop/rail station is greater than 600m (up to 10-minute walk);

• The pupil would arrive at the school gate earlier than 30 minutes before
registration;

• The pupil would depart from the school gate more than 30 minutes after school closes;

• The boarding point outside of the school is unsafe taking into account the
number of children waiting for public transport (as evidenced by a risk
assessment).

Note 1 – Discretion will be applied if the school is located in a rural or a semi-rural
area and/or if the school serves rural or semi-rural communities.

A value for money criteria will also be applied:

• Services will be considered for withdrawal or lower cost alternatives put in place where the average subsidy per passenger trip exceeds £2.00, based on data for a minimum of 40 days operation (typically, the number of passengers
required to achieve this would be:
Double deck (75 to 90 capacity) 50+
Single deck (25 to 57 capacity) 40+
Midibus (16 to 24 capacity) 20+
Minibus (up to 16 capacity) 10+

Exclusions

The Combined Authority will not normally fund a service:

• Where the statutory responsibility to provide transport lies with the council or
another body. The Combined Authority will however assist in organising such
services where funding is available from the local council or another body,
subject to payment of a management fee.

• Where this is due to a reorganisation of school sites, changes in opening times or where school holidays differ from the local council’s adopted holidays. The Combined Authority will however assist in organising such services where funding is available from the council or another body, subject to payment of a management fee.

• Where this is due to the withdrawal of funding by the local council or another
body. The Combined Authority will however assist in organising such services
where funding is available from the local council or another body, subject to
payment of a management fee.

• Where parents have chosen a school which does not already have a school
bus service or public transport links from the area in which they live. The
Combined Authority will however assist in organising such services where
funding is available from the local council or another body, subject to payment
of a management fee.

• Where the school is a fee-paying school or the school’s admissions criteria is
based on academic selection.

• Where the subsidy would exceed £2.00 per passenger trip.

• Where this would operate to a school outside of West Yorkshire.

Primary School Services

The Combined Authority provides a limited number of primary school services.
These services were introduced to encourage people to travel by bus instead of car.
A small number are co-funded by the local councils because they were first
introduced under previous council policy. It is not intended to introduce any new
services of this type in future without external funding.

Local council funded services will be withdrawn if the funding is no longer available.

Other services will be considered for withdrawal or a lower cost alternative
implemented where the subsidy per passenger trip exceeds £2.00, based on data for
a minimum of 40 days operation.

Places will not normally be provided on primary school services for children who live within a reasonable walking distance of school (1.6 km or 1 mile / 20 minute walk).

Post-16 students

Transport will not normally be provided for young people in Years 12 and 13 even if
journeys to and from school meet the criteria for service provision or retention as
outlined for children in Years 7 to 11.

Post 16 student curriculum timetables are frequently inconsistent with home-to-school bus timetables meaning that the Combined Authority is meeting the cost of
retaining ‘empty seats’ on many services.

Pupil allocation Criteria

Where the number of applications for a place on a school bus exceeds the number
of available places, the following criteria will apply:

Local Council funded services (assuming application or renewal received by
published closing date) – See also Note 2

1. Children eligible for free travel or assistance with travel expenses under
local council policy.
2. Children with additional needs/requirements who may not be eligible for
assistance (evidence will be required).
3. Children who are not eligible for assistance but for whom there is no
‘reasonable’ (as defined in the Combined Authority’s guidelines) public
transport alternative.
4. Children living along the line of the route (within 1km) by age (exact date
of birth).Priority will be given to the youngest children.
5. Other children by age (exact date of birth). Priority will be given to the
youngest children.
6. Late applications by the above criteria.

Note 2 – These are subject to local council policy changes. In some cases, school
specific or service specific guidelines may apply, which may differ from the general
guidelines outlined above.

Combined Authority-funded services (assuming application or renewal received by
published closing date)

1. Children with additional needs/requirements (evidence will be required).
2. Children for whom there is no ‘reasonable’ (as defined in the Combined
Authority’s guidelines) public transport alternative.
3. Children living along the line of the route (within 1km) by age (exact date
of birth). Priority will be given to the youngest children.
4. Other children by age (exact date of birth).Priority will be given to the
youngest children.
5. Late applications by the above criteria.

Primary (assuming application or renewal received by published closing date)

1. Children eligible for free travel or assistance with travel expenses under
local council policy (if service funded by local council).
2. Existing users.
3. New Applications.
4. Late applications/renewals by the above criteria.

Fares

Flat fares (same fare regardless of distance travelled) will be charged on all
contracted services that are included in the West Yorkshire Concessionary Travel
Scheme. The fare will be based on comparable fares charged on the commercial
public transport network.

Seatbelts

Seatbelts will be provided on all contracted primary school services.
Seatbelts will not be a requirement on contracted secondary school services. This is
to ensure consistency with the public transport network.

Passenger Assistants

Passenger Assistants will be provided on all primary school services that regularly
carry 30 or more passengers.

Standing passengers

Standing passengers are permitted on buses used on local authority contracted
secondary school services up to the maximum specified on the vehicle. This is to
ensure consistency with the public transport network.

Commercial services

Combined Authority-funded services will be considered for withdrawal where
operators register or make available competing commercial services. This includes
services that fall outside of the West Yorkshire Concessionary Travel Scheme and,
therefore, might charge higher fares or offer alternative payment methods.
Subject to agreement with the relevant the local council, this may include council
funded services.