School Bus Program

Administration of the School Bus Program

Delivery of the School Bus Program (SBP) involves government and non-government schools, bus operators, the department’s Student Transport Unit (STU) and regional offices and the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).

Student Travel Assistance Portal

To better support administration of the SBP, the Student Travel Assistance Portal, an online tool, was developed to:

• reduce the administrative burden on schools
• provide parents and carers with greater control of their children’s travel and a complete line of sight to the application and assessment process
• improve emergency management, capacity management and responsiveness
• optimise school bus services.

The Student Travel Assistance Portal will progressively roll out to all SBP networks. The STU will communicate with schools and provide them with training prior to their transition to the Student Travel Assistance Portal.

Resources for existing schools utilising the Student Travel Assistance Portal are available on the Resources tab.

The below shows the roles and responsibilities of schools, bus operators, the STU, DE regional offices, and the DTP at a high level. As more networks transition to the Student Travel Assistance Portal, the roles and responsibilities of schools will change. For example, schools that have transitioned to the Student Travel Assistance Portal will have significantly reduced administrative workload and will not be required to process applications, assess eligibility, or collect fares. Where required, transport decisions for travel applications in the Student Travel Assistance Portal will be made in conjunction with the coordinating principal.

Schools

• Communication (with students and families)
• Eligibility determination*
• Fare collection*
• Planning service needs
• Emergency management
• Transport Special Cases Consideration Panel

*Not required for schools transitioned to the Student Travel Assistance Portal

Bus operators

• Planning service needs
• Contracting, delivering, and managing service provision
• Emergency management

Students and parents or carers

• Adhere to the Conditions of Travel
• Notify the enrolled school of any change in travel arrangements
• Pay a fare in advance of travel if ineligible
• Take responsibility for transportation to/from an approved bus stop and safety at the bus stop

DE Student Transport Unit

• Policy
• Planning service needs
• Funding program
• Reviewing compliance
• Emergency management
• Transport Special Cases Consideration Panel

DE regional offices

• Planning service needs
• Emergency management
• Transport Special Cases Consideration Panel

Department of Transport and Planning

• Policy
• Planning service needs
• Contracting, delivering, and managing service provision
• Funding program
• Reviewing compliance
• Emergency management
• Transport Special Cases Consideration Panel

It is important to note that all groups in the provision and management of the SBP have responsibility and obligations under the Child Safe Standards, the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) and Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic).

It is each party’s responsibility to know and act on their obligations regarding duty of care and taking steps to eliminate risks to health and safety arising from the provision of school bus services.

Emergency management

Each school in developing its emergency management plan should ensure the plan includes emergency procedures in the event of a breakdown, accident, bushfire and other emergency situations. All school emergency management plans must be consistent with the plans of bus operators providing services in a local network.

Emergency procedures for student transport must be established in consultation with bus operators and client schools. If required, the department’s regional offices, DTP, Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria Police, VicRoads and other emergency services may also be involved in establishing emergency procedures.

In addition, the department’s Security Emergency Management Division, the STU and DTP have developed specific emergency management procedures to be used for the School Bus Program. It is important that all groups involved in the administration of the School Bus Program familiarise themselves with these procedures and follow them in the event of an emergency. The School Bus Program Emergency Management Operational Guidelines are available in the Resources tab.

Responsibilities of coordinating schools

Travel approval

All schools accessing the SBP are responsible for distributing eligibility information and application forms to their students and parents/carers. All application forms and eligibility guides are available in the Resources tab.

Coordinating principals, or their delegate (bus coordinator), are responsible for coordinating and assessing all applications to travel on school bus services in their network. This includes students attending government and non-government schools. Coordinating principals determine whether students are eligible to travel at no cost or upon payment of a fare.

Both coordinating and client school principals must collect applications to travel from students at their school. Applications must be in the form prescribed by the department and available in the Resources tab. It is the responsibility of the client school principal to forward all applications to the coordinating principal by the end of Term 3 in the year prior to attendance. Late applications may be accepted at the discretion of the coordinating principal. Students requiring bus transport less than 5 days a week must specify their travel arrangements in their application.

Parents/carers must be advised in writing of the outcome of their application at the earliest possible convenience. Notification of unsuccessful applications should be prioritised to provide maximum time to review the choice of school or to make alternative arrangements.

Bus fares

Coordinating schools must collect from client schools all fares from fare paying travellers and provide payments to STU.

Confirmed traveller loadings

The coordinating principal must submit their annual confirmed traveller loading data for their bus network to the STU by the end of Term 1 each year. This report details the number of students confirmed to travel on each service in the current year. It is essential that this information is maintained and up to date.

Schools that fail to provide their confirmed traveller loading data may be subject to a department policy compliance review.

Loading issues, including changes in bus patronage, should be reported to the STU and DTP by the coordinating principal as they arise. In reporting any loading issues, coordinating principals are encouraged to work with the STU and DTP to implement temporary arrangements and long term solutions, which may include the arrangements set out in Provision of Bus Services.

The STU will work with DTP and the bus operator where services may be affected.

Data collection and procedures

The coordinating school must adhere to the department’s privacy and information security policies in the collection, management and storage of personal information.

Coordinating principals must collate and maintain the following up-to-date information on behalf of the STU and DTP and distribute it to all bus operators:

• route and passenger details:
  • a roll or database of approved passengers based on approved applications to travel (including any ad-hoc passengers)
  • students’ residential addresses
  • authorised bus stops
  • emergency contact information for each passenger
  • medical information for each passenger – as required
  • name of the bus captain or bus captains (if appointed)
• route maps:
  • a map of the approved route or routes showing a list of the authorised bus stops for each service and the overnight bus garage location
• timetable:
  • a bus timetable with scheduled departure and arrival times for the school or schools and all authorized bus stops on the route
• emergency procedures:
  • the procedures to be adopted in the event of a breakdown, accident, bushfire, or other emergency
• standards of behaviour:
  • expectations of passengers and bus captains (if appointed).

Risk management and incident reporting – health and safety

A duty of care is owed to students accessing government-funded bus services. All staff must continually assess, mitigate, treat and monitor risks that may be associated with bus travel such as:

• the actual or potential for challenging behaviours during transit
• the actual or potential for conflict between students
• the ability of students to board and alight from the bus
• the actual or potential hazards surrounding the location of the bus stop.

Coordinating schools must treat any risk raised by the bus operator or any other party seriously. Where a risk is identified, principals must apply the department’s Risk Management Framework and document their actions and follow up. The framework will assist with the process of identification, assessment, monitoring and treatment to eliminate risks to health and safety.

The bus operator must be invited to participate in the risk management process and may be a source of expert advice.

If there is an incident or near miss involving a bus service, schools must immediately refer to their emergency management plan on whether the incident is notifiable and what steps the school should take.

Risk management and incident reporting – Child Safe Standards

The Child Safe Standards are legislated requirements to protect children and young people from harm and abuse. Registered schools and transport services for children are both required to comply with the Child Safe Standards.

Coordinating school principals must ensure families and students using the bus service are informed about how to raise any worries or concerns about their safety on SBP services with school staff.

If there are any incidents, disclosures or suspicions of child abuse in the course of students travelling to or from school (either in transit, to/from the bus stop or while waiting for the bus), the coordinating school principal must take action:

1. follow the Managing and Reporting School Incidents policy, including making a report to the Incident Support and Operations Centre (ISOC)
2. notify the Student Transport Unit (STU) so that the STU can contact DTP to ensure DTP requires the bus operator to take appropriate steps in response to the incident (which may include reporting the matter to the Commission for Children and Young People under the Reportable Conduct Scheme)
3. notify the principal of the relevant client school that the student attends.

Student behaviour on school buses

The coordinating principal is responsible for the communication of acceptable standards of behaviour on school buses to students and families and has the authority to take disciplinary measures for misbehaviour, including temporary or permanent suspension from bus travel.

Coordinating principals are also responsible for investigating complaints and may issue a Notice of concern – behaviour to a student or parent/carer if they are sufficiently concerned about a student’s behaviour. The coordinating principal must also notify the student’s client school principal to enable behaviour support planning for the student and safety planning for other affected students.

Coordinating principals must ensure adequate and up-to-date documentation, such as reports of misbehaviour on a school bus service which may inform disciplinary decisions, are maintained.

Coordinating principals must provide any subsequent and formal advice of a student suspension from bus travel to the:

• STU
• bus operator and the driver of the bus service
• school or registered training organisation the student attends.

The school (coordinating or client) is then to provide the advice to the student and his or her parents/carers.

During a period of suspension, a student’s transport is the responsibility of their parent/carer.

Supervision

A member of staff must be on duty to supervise students during the arrival and departure of school buses at school and bus interchanges beyond the school.

At bus service feeder interchanges (buses meet en route) beyond the school, buses should be scheduled so that they arrive and depart the interchange at the same time. Buses should always remain stationary while students are transferring between services.

Parents/carers are responsible for transporting their children to and from designated bus stops and for their safety at the bus stop while waiting for the bus.

Unauthorised student passengers

Bus drivers are obligated to accept any unauthorised student passengers who present at a bus stop and are unaccompanied by a parent/carer. Bus drivers must report the unauthorised passenger to the coordinating principal once the bus arrives at school.

If the unauthorised passenger is from the coordinating school, the coordinating principal must contact the unauthorised passenger’s parents/carers and inform them that their child will not be permitted on the afternoon bus service and they have responsibility for organising their child’s transport home.

Alternatively, if the unauthorised passenger is from a client school, the coordinating principal must contact the client school principal and advise the unauthorised passenger will not be permitted on the afternoon service. The client school principal must inform the unauthorised passenger’s parents/carers that their child is not permitted on the afternoon service and they have responsibility for organising their child’s transport home.

If the unauthorised passenger presents at the bus for the afternoon service, bus operators are not obligated to carry unauthorised passengers from the school and are only required to liaise with coordinating schools.

Continued unauthorised student passengers are to be reported by the bus operator to the coordinating principal, DTP and STU for investigation and prompt resolution.

Communication with client schools

The coordinating principal must provide the following information to the principal of each client school:

• bus rolls
• route maps
• timetables
• relevant procedures
• conditions of travel (included in the application to travel)
• emergency contact details for the school’s students who travel on a school bus.

The coordinating principal must inform client schools of contract variations, temporary service variations, early closure times (e.g. end of term) and pupil free days where bus services will be affected. Where planned, notification of planned changes should occur prior to the start of the next school term.

Communication with parents/carers

All schools are responsible for communicating the travel options that exist in the area to parents at enrolment to their school. Schools must familiarise themselves with the SBP in order to respond to general enquiries made by parents about the program.

Principals of coordinating and client schools must keep parents/carers informed about school bus service arrangements, school bus safety education and the obligations of parents/carers.

Coordinating principals must provide advice to parents/carers of when bus services will not be running. Where planned, notification of planned changes should occur prior to the start of the next school term.

When a student is new to a school bus service, parents/carers must be provided with the following documents:

• a bus timetable with scheduled departure times for all stops on the route
• procedures to be adopted in the event of a breakdown, accident, bushfire, or any other emergency.

Parents/carers must be notified of any misbehaviour and advised that the travel arrangements for a student suspended or permanently removed from a school bus service are their responsibility.

Principals must emphasise that it is the responsibility of parents/carers to list their child’s medical conditions on the application to travel. The parents/carers will agree on a suitable medical management plan with the coordinating principal. Where appropriate, the coordinating principal should provide the bus operator with details of the medical condition and how to appropriately respond should it be required.

Parents/carers must be informed that bus drivers are not medically trained and are not expected to perform any medical intervention.

Client schools must take steps to ensure they have up to date contact details for parents/carers and communicate those details to the coordinating school to be used in the event of an emergency.

Communication with DTP and DE

The coordinating principal may raise operational issues directly with DTP however the STU must be advised of any major issue that may affect students or the provision of a bus service.

Requests for new services, service variations, safety-related issues and continuity of service matters must be forwarded to the STU for consideration and endorsement prior to submission to DTP. Refer to Provision of bus services.

Reporting bus operator and driver conduct

The coordinating principal must report the following to DTP:

• failure of a bus operator to provide a service on a particular day or days
• regular lack of punctuality according to the timetable (taking into consideration that punctuality is dependent upon the timely dismissal of students in the afternoons)
• an unauthorised substitution of a vehicle
• an accident directly, indirectly or incidentally related to the operation of a SBP vehicle
• a bus operator who does not keep the interior of the vehicle or vehicles clean
• use of an unsuitable or unsafe vehicle, or a vehicle that repeatedly suffers mechanical difficulties
• the death of a bus operator.

The coordinating principal must report the following to STU:

• any incidents, disclosures or suspicions of child abuse involving a driver (noting that all School Bus Program operators are required to adhere to the Child Safe Standards)
• an offence allegedly committed by a bus operator or a driver and any subsequent police or court action
• concerns about the suitability of a driver.

Temporary service variations

The coordinating principal must report any temporary service variations, including any variation to kilometres travelled or vehicle used, to the STU, DTP and each school whose students travel on the affected service.

Temporary service variations often relate to route or vehicle alterations in unforeseen circumstances. A temporary service variation to a route may be needed in response to flooding, bridge closure, road maintenance, or bushfire. A revised route should be determined in consultation with the bus operator, DTP and VicRoads/local council.

Maintaining a bus service

Coordinating principals must report to the STU and DTP any instances where students on a lightly loaded service can be transferred and safely accommodated on alternative services, or where there are or will be less than eight eligible students using a service.

Communication with bus operators

The following information must be provided in writing to the bus operator by the coordinating principal:

• a full and current bus roll of students approved to travel on a service
• the name of any students suspended from using the school bus service and the length of the suspension
• any approved changes to bus routes and/or timetables
• the names of ineligible students and members of the public approved to travel on the service
• any alterations to the bus roll
• changes in bus captains (if appointed)
• any seat allocations
• changes to school timetables (including early closure times and pupil free days) within a reasonable time period
• emergency procedures and contact details.

The bus operator is responsible for providing this information to drivers.

Authorising bus operator payments

Bus operators must submit a quarterly contractor payment claim form to the coordinating principal. The coordinating principal must check all details including student numbers, days operated, vehicle and driver details. If these details are correct, the coordinating principal can endorse the claim for payment. Endorsement must be provided within 2 days of receipt of the invoice. The bus operator is then responsible for forwarding the endorsed payment claim form to DTP for payment.

Should the payment claim form be rejected due to errors or admissions, coordinating principals should escalate the matter to STU. The STU will work with DTP to have the claim form reviewed and or resubmitted with the correct information.

Responsibilities of client schools

Travel approval

All schools accessing the SBP are responsible for distributing eligibility information and application forms to their students. All application forms and eligibility guides are available on the Resources tab.

Client school principals must collect applications to travel from students at their school. Applications are then to be forwarded to the coordinating principal for assessment.

Applications must be sent to the coordinating principal by the end of Term 3 in the year prior to attendance. Applications must be in the form prescribed by the department and are available to download from the Resources tab. Late applications may be accepted at the discretion of the coordinating principal. Students requiring bus transport less than five days a week must specify their travel arrangements in their application.

Parents/carers must be advised in writing of the outcome of their application at the earliest possible convenience. Notification of unsuccessful applications should be prioritised to provide maximum time to review the choice of school or to make alternative arrangements.

Client school principals must communicate any change in approved traveller address or students no longer travelling to the coordinating school.

Bus fares

Client schools must collect fares from students at their schools who are fare paying travellers and provide payments to the coordinating school together with the fare remittance form.

Anticipated changes in traveller demands

Client school principals must inform the coordinating school if they anticipate any significant increase or decrease in demand for bus services as early as possible or prior to the end of Term 3 if for the following year.

Supervision

A member of staff must be on duty to supervise students during the arrival and departure of school buses at school and at interchanges beyond the school. At interchanges beyond the school, buses should be scheduled so that they arrive and depart the interchange at the same time. Buses must always remain stationary while students are transferring between services.

Parents/carers are responsible for transporting their children to and from designated bus stops and for their safety at the bus stop while waiting for the bus.

Unauthorised student passengers

Bus drivers are obligated to accept any unauthorised student passengers who present at a bus stop and are unaccompanied by a parent/carer. Bus drivers must report the unauthorised passenger to the coordinating principal once the bus arrives at school.

If the unauthorised passenger is from a client school, the coordinating principal will contact the client school principal and inform them that the unauthorised passenger is not permitted on the afternoon bus service. The client school principal must inform the unauthorised passenger’s parents/carers that their child is not permitted on the afternoon service and that they have responsibility for organising their child’s transport home.

If the unauthorised passenger presents at the bus for the afternoon service, bus operators are not obligated to liaise with client schools or carry unauthorised passengers from the school.

Continued unauthorised student passengers are to be reported by the bus operator to the coordinating principal, DTP and STU for investigation and prompt resolution.

Communication with parents/carers

Schools are responsible for communicating the travel options that exist in the area to parents at enrolment. Schools must familiarise themselves with the policy to respond to general enquiries made by parents about the program.

Responsibilities of bus operators

Under the Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic) (the Act), operators of buses or vehicles with more than 12 seats (including that of the driver) must be accredited by Safe Transport Victoria (refer to the Buses – Owned, Hired or Chartered by a School policy. Operators must display the number plates showing the appropriate accredited service category and their accreditation number.

The Act requires bus operators to take steps to eliminate the risks to health and safety arising from the provision of bus services. Obligations under the Act have been incorporated into the contracts between the bus operators and DTP (contract holders for the School Bus Program services).

Operators are required to:

• ensure that drivers are licensed in line with the Act and VicRoads requirements
• ensure that drivers are suitable to be undertaking child-related work and have a current Working with Children Clearance
• have a zero alcohol and drug policy for bus drivers while engaged in delivery of a service
• advise schools if any risk arises during the delivery of a service or at a bus stop
• comply with the Child Safe Standards.

The Bus Safety Regulations 2020 (Vic) also provide additional specific obligations for notification of incidents and near misses.

Bus operators are required to provide services in line with applicable legislation, their contract with DTP and this guidance.

Under the provisions of the Public Administration Act 2004 (Vic), a government school teacher is not permitted to hold, or have an interest in, a school bus contract without written permission of the department.

Reporting

Through the completion and submission of the Form 7: Notice of Concern — Behaviour (DOCX) (also available in Resources) bus operators and drivers are required to report to the coordinating principal all instances of student misbehaviour and any action taken/to be taken in response to the misbehaviour including recommendations for changes to seating allocations.

Coordinating principals are to work with bus operators and or drivers to address matters raised through the notice of concern form. This may include meeting with bus operators and drivers to discuss the matters raised.

Coordinating principals (where required) will manage all contact with client schools, families and students. The coordinating school may direct the client school to provide formal advice of agreed action to the student and his or her parents/carers. Bus operators and drivers are not to manage notice of concern behaviour matters directly with families.

Coordinating principals are not required to inform bus operators or drivers of the outcome of a notice of concern unless the outcome may result in alterations to the student's bus travel.

Bus operator and drivers are also required to report verbally or in writing to the coordinating principal any of the following matters:

• loading issues – overloading or reduced loading
• detours or delays due to exceptional circumstances – where possible, unplanned delays should be reported immediately by telephone
• any issues that may affect the ongoing operation
• any accident that has a direct, indirect or incidental relationship to a school bus service
• unauthorised passengers.

Payment of contracts

Bus operators must prepare a quarterly contractor payment claim form and submit it to the coordinating principal for checking and endorsement. Coordinating principals should return the claim promptly to the bus operator. Operators must submit the claim to DTP, which uses the information to review loadings, vehicles in use, and to determine an operator’s monthly payment.

Bus operations

The following expectations apply to all services:

• operators must transport all passengers who have been approved by the coordinating principal
• operators must operate the contracted vehicle on the DTP approved route, and in accordance with the timetable set down by the coordinating principal
• neither operators nor drivers have any authority to determine eligibility to travel or to refuse to pick up any approved passenger
• operators are not permitted to carry goods or other passengers while the bus is servicing the approved timetable, except with prior written approval from the coordinating principal
• a bus should not arrive at or leave the school earlier or later than the time stated in the timetable unless directed by the coordinating principal
• a bus route may not be varied, except in an emergency, without the approval of DTP
• all buses should avoid travelling in reverse gear where possible, particularly in pick-up and set-down areas
• school bus lights and signage compliant with VicRoads requirements must be displayed while students are travelling on the bus. Flashing lights must be operating while the bus is stopped
• any student that presents at a bus stop for a morning bus service unaccompanied by a parent/guardian and is unauthorised for travel must be accepted on the bus and reported to the coordinating principal once the bus arrives at school
• bus operators are not obligated to carry unauthorised student passengers in the afternoon. Unauthorised student passengers should be reported to the schools on duty supervisor/teacher for removal from the bus service prior to the bus departing the school interchange.

Contract variations

Any reduction in authorised dead running and/or live distances must be reported to DTP.

Any variation (non-emergency) to a bus route must be approved by DTP prior to implementation as the variation could alter the contract rate of payment.

Coordinating schools cannot vary bus routes without gaining approval. To gain approval, coordinating schools are required to submit the Form 9: Application for Variation or Extension of an Existing Route (DOCX).

Vehicles

To operate a school bus service, an operator must:

• provide the specified vehicle in a satisfactory condition in accordance with the terms of the contract with DTP
• have the vehicle inspected as prescribed by regulations and legislation and authorized vehicle safety inspector
• when instructed by DTP or licensed vehicle tester, repair or replace the vehicle.

If a vehicle is deemed unsafe by a licensed vehicle tester, a written report from a licensed bus examiner recommending its replacement must be issued to DTP. The operator must then provide a suitable replacement vehicle approved by DTP.

Voluntary replacement

If an operator elects to voluntarily replace a bus, they must do so in accordance with the requirements in the school bus service contract.

Temporary replacement

The operator must provide a suitable replacement vehicle if the contract vehicle is being repaired. This vehicle must be approved by DTP. A school bus operator must not stop operating the vehicle specified in the contract without prior permission from DTP.

Drivers

Drivers must have a ‘Driver’s Accreditation’ issued by the Taxi Services Commission (TSC). Generally, a certificate is not issued to an applicant under the age of 21 years.

Drivers must also have a current Working With Children Clearance.

Under the provisions of the Public Administration Act 2004 (Vic), a government school teacher is not permitted to be employed as a school bus driver without written permission from the relevant department regional director.

Drivers have a role in the safety and supervision of students while on board school buses. Bus drivers are not medically trained and are not expected to perform any medical intervention.

Drivers on the completion of the bus service should inspect the vehicle interior to ensure that all students have departed the vehicle. The vehicle inspection is a critical task and should be completed prior to departing the school after the am service and prior to garaging the vehicle after the last stop on the pm service.

Student behaviour on school buses

In the event students do not comply with the conditions of travel, bus drivers must follow the procedures below:

• the driver will stop the bus
• student name or names and full details of the breach will be recorded
• the student or students will be transported to school or to their normal drop-off
• the matter will be reported to the coordinating principal through the Form 7: Notice of Concern – Behaviour (DOCX)
• the coordinating principal will, in review of the notice of concern, take necessary action as required.

Ejecting a student from a bus service

Bus drivers may eject passengers they reasonably believe are:

• a threat to the safety of passengers in the vehicle
• behaving in a violent, noisy or offensive manner
• intoxicated to the point of being offensive.

Ejecting a student must be considered a measure of last resort.

Bus drivers must consider stopping the vehicle in a safe location and evacuating other students from potential harm. Drivers will need to justify that the circumstances warranted the action taken.

Students ejected from vehicles must not be left unattended.

Before ejecting a student, the bus driver must speak with the coordinating principal and/or the principal of the client school the student attends. Should the bus driver not be able to contact the school or schools, bus drivers must seek support from emergency services (call 000), and the contracted bus operator (if the driver is not the bus operator).

In deciding whether to eject a student passenger, drivers should take into consideration the potential danger presented by the road conditions, the age and ability of the student passenger, and the distance to be travelled.

It is the responsibility of the principal of the school the student passenger attends to inform the parents/carers of their child’s ejection from the bus and where their child can be picked up. The principal may choose to pick-up the student from where they have been ejected and return them back to school or home.

Vandalism

In all cases of vandalism by students, bus drivers should report the matter through the Form 7: Notice of Concern – Behaviour (DOCX).

Coordinating principals (where required) will manage all contact with client schools, families and students. Bus operators and drivers are not to manage notice of concern-behaviour matters directly.

The students or their parent/carers will be required to meet the cost of repairs.

Responsibilities of students

Behaviour on school buses

Those travelling on school buses must comply with the conditions of travel included in the application to travel.

Students must:

• be on time to their bus stop each morning and at the bus loading area each afternoon. Students must be at the bus stop prior to the scheduled departure time
• board, alight and travel on buses in a quiet, orderly manner
• sit in an allocated seat if instructed
• after getting off the bus, staying clear of the bus so that it can safely resume its journey. Students are not to walk in front of a bus that may move forward from the bus stopping location.

Responsibilities of parents/carers

Parents/carers must:

• be responsible for transporting their children to and from authorised bus stops and their safety at the bus stop while waiting for the bus
• notify the school in writing within 7 days of any change of address or school or if they no longer require access to the school bus
• accept the authority of the coordinating principal with regard to student discipline on the school bus service
• pay the costs of repairs or damage to the bus if caused by the vandalism or a deliberate act of their child/children.

Parents/carers of students who are ineligible for transport assistance (fare payers) must also:

• pay the full term fare in advance of travel
• make alternative travel arrangements if a seat is required by an eligible traveller.

Responsibilities of the STU

The STU is responsible for:

• developing and communicating the School Bus Program policy and procedures
• providing advice and support to regional offices on transport-related matters
• providing advice and support to schools on transport-related matters
• considering applications for special consideration or appeal from schools for exemption outside the standard policy
• administering the Transport Special Case Consideration panel
• conducting School Bus Program policy and procedures compliance reviews at coordinating and client schools
• supporting the department’s central and regional offices to comply with the department’s emergency management procedures
• working with DTP on the administration of the School Bus Program, including addressing potential driver conduct or suitability issues.

Responsibilities of DE regional offices

Regional offices are responsible for:

• providing advice and support to schools on transport-related matters in accordance with the department's transport policy
• endorsement of government school applications for the Transport Special Case Consideration Panel
• assisting schools with applications for a new service or an alteration to existing service
• providing advice on transport-related matters to parents/carers
• escalating transport-related issues that cannot be resolved at a local level to the STU
• providing local knowledge to the STU
• directing and supporting schools during an emergency. This includes supporting school bus services as per the Student Transport Emergency Management Procedures document.

Responsibilities of DTP

DTP is responsible for:

• planning service needs
• contracting and managing service provision
• funding the bus service contracts used to deliver the School Bus Program
• reviewing school and operator compliance within the School Bus Program Policy
• working with the STU on the management and administration of the School Bus Program
• secondary role in managing school bus services during an emergency, as per the School Bus Program Emergency Management Operational Guidelines (PDF).