School Bus Program

Introduction

While parents/carers have primary responsibility for transporting their children to and from school, the School Bus Program (SBP) assists families in rural and regional Victoria by transporting students to school.

The program services both government and non-government schools.

Students wishing to access a seat on a bus must complete an application form and parents/carers must agree to the conditions of travel (which are set out in the relevant application form) including, if applicable, the payment of a fare. Applicants must submit the application form specific to their circumstances. Please refer to the Resources tab to access the relevant application form or download the instructions on how families apply if the network is part of the Student Travel Assistance Portal.

Criteria of eligibility determine whether a student travels at no cost or travels upon the payment of a fare.

The Student Transport Unit of the department sets the policy and provides general transport advice to the department’s regional offices and schools.

The Department of Transport and Planning administers the SBP as directed by this guidance and holds the contracts with bus operators.

The SBP is guided by the relevant parts of the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 (Vic) and the Bus Safety Act 2009 (Vic). This guidance detail the specific obligations and duty of care for all parties involved in the provision and management of school bus services.