School Bus Program

Special Category Travelers – Case studies

Below are illustrated examples to assist in the understanding of several situations where students may be eligible for an exemption.

In these illustrations, School A is the nearest school and School B is the further school.

Case 1 – Government students residing 4.8 km or more from a bus route to nearest government school

Students residing 4.8 km or more from a bus route to their nearest government school may be permitted to travel at no cost on a service with a bus stop closer to their residence that is travelling to an alternative school. The alternative service may take the student to the next nearest school or further if no service to the next nearest school is available. The closer bus service may be within 4.8 km of the student’s residence.

Case 1a – The bus route to the next nearest school is less than 4.8 km from a student’s residence but closer than a route to the nearest government school.

Case 2 – No service to nearest government school

Students residing in an area with no bus service running to their nearest school may be permitted to access a bus service running to their next nearest school at no cost.

Note: this case study does not apply for non-government schools.

Case 3 – Unsupervised government primary school

Some bus services may pass a government primary school before staff are in attendance. As there is no supervision available at the school at the time students would be dropped-off students may be permitted to travel to their next nearest government primary school.

Case 4 – New government or non-government school opens closer to student’s residence

Students enrolled at a school that ceases to be their nearest due to new school opening are still eligible to access a bus service to their current school at no cost.

Case 5 – Round bus route

In certain areas, bus routes may operate in a loop. In these circumstances a student may pass their next nearest school before the bus stops at their nearest school. In this situation the eligibility is still determined by the shortest practicable route, despite the route taken by the bus and a student must attend their nearest school to travel at no cost.