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School Free Travel


Most students residing in New South Wales are eligible to apply for free travel to and from school. Such transport is provided only after presentation of a current and appropriate travel pass to the driver upon boarding the bus.

Application for travel by Eligible Students
Parents/Guardians must apply for a new travel pass when:

  • the student has changed schools
  • the student has changed residential address
  • the student is moving from Year 2 to Year 3
  • the student is moving from Year 6 to Year 7
  • the student repeats a school year

An "Application for Subsidised Travel & Update of Student Details" form is obtainable from your school. After obtaining the signatures of a parent/guardian and the principal of the school, the completed application is processed by Transdev - Shorelink Buses on behalf of Transport New South Wales. A travel pass is then issued by Transdev - Shorelink Buses to the appropriate school for distribution.

Eligibility Conditions
To be eligible for subsidised travel under the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) students should:

  • Be 4 years 6 months of age or older.
  • Be an infant student i.e. attending kindergarten, year 1 and 2 classes, irrespective of the distance from home to school.
  • Be a primary student (year 3-6), and reside more than 1.6 kilometres (radial distance) from the school attended measured on a radius from the centre of the school site, or 2.3 kilometres or more by the most direct practicable walking route to the nearest point of physical entry to the school.
  • Be a secondary student (year 7-12), and reside more than 2.0 kilometres (radial distance) from the school attended, measured on a radius from the centre of the school site, or 2.9 kilometres or more by the most direct practicable walking route to the nearest point of physical entry to the school.
  • Be enrolled at a registered day school.

Use of Free Travel Pass
School travel is only available between home and school for school attendance and is available on school days only.

Passes are not transferable. Students must present their pass to the driver upon boarding and to an inspector when requested.

Withdrawal of Free School Pass
Transport New South Wales reserves the right to withdraw a travel pass if investigation shows the student to be ineligible. Following notification to the parent/guardian, any issued pass must be surrendered to the school principal or Transdev - Shorelink Buses and subsidised travel cease immediately.

Read further below for more specific details relating to the SSTS system.


School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS)

What is SSTS?
SSTS is a scheme run by Transport New South Wales in conjunction with schools and transport companies to enable eligible students to travel to and from school at no cost to the parents or guardians.

Eligibility Criteria

The table below summarises the eligibility criteria for free travel under SSTS.

Kindergarten - Year 2 All Eligible
Greater Than
Years 3 - 6 1.6 km Radius 2.3 km Walking Health or Safety
Years 7 - 12 2 km Radius 2.9 km Walking Health or Safety

The eligibility criteria are applied in sequence. That is, the year that the student is in is examined first. If the student is in Kindergarten to Year 2 they are eligible regardless of any other factors, as long as they are travelling to and from their home address.

If the student is in a year greater than Year 2 the Radial Distance is then examined. If the Radial Distance exceeds that shown in the table, then the student is eligible.

The application needs to be sent in to Transport New South Wales with a letter.

If the Radial Distance is less than that shown in the table, the Walking Distance is then examined. If the Walking Distance exceeds that shown in the table, then the student is eligible.

Health or Safety criteria only need to be examined when the age or distance criteria are not satisfied.

For more details:

Eligibility, Applications, Student Responsibilities, Operator Responsibilities, Complaints, Improving the Scheme, Frequently Asked Questions
Go to www.transport.nsw.gov.au/concess_grants/ssts.html Link opens in a new window. .

Also Available:

Download the School Student Code of Conduct in PDF format

Download SSTS Booklet in PDF format Link opens in a new window.

Visit the SSTS Appeals Process website Link opens in a new window.

View the online guide to Students Behaviour on Buses , Download Student's Behaviour on Buses PDF format Link opens in a new window.

Guidelines for Managing School Student's Behaviour on Buses in PDF format. Link opens in a new window.

Eligibility for Students Temporarily Resident in Australia in PDF format. Link opens in a new window.

IMPORTANT
Do not be overly concerned about whether you qualify on the distance criteria since the Company has sophisticated software to check this. The best thing to do is complete the Application Form and if after we have checked, you don't qualify on the distance criteria, we will contact you to explain the other alternatives.

How do I obtain a pass?

An application form must be completed.
These may be obtained from the school, by contacting us or it can be downloaded from Transport New South Wales's web site.
Click here to view the explanatory information contained on the application form Link opens in a new window.

Download the form Link opens in a new window.
Notes:

  1. This allows for entry of the required data into the form.
  2. In section 9, the Bus Company Details are: 
    Transdev - Shorelink Buses
    33 Beaumont Road
    MT KURING-GAI NSW 2080

    After completion of data entry in Part A, print 2 copies and sign both.

  3. Return both copies of the completed form to the school.
  4. When the form is signed by the school, it will be forwarded to us and the pass will be printed and sent to the school for collection.

Do I need to reapply each year? No!

A new application is only required if there is a change of;

  • school, or
  • home address, or
  • name of the student

Passes will be distributed by the school at the start of the new school year.

What do I do if the Pass is lost?

Replacement passes may be obtained at a cost of $10 through our office or by clicking on this link to fill out and fax back for a Replacement Travel Pass Link opens in a new window. .

What do I do if my child is not eligible and I still want them to catch the bus?

The best solution is to buy a Student Travel Pass which provide a minimum discount of 20% from the daily cash fare (and usually significantly higher).

For further details see Student Travel Passes .

In order to view PDF files you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader Link opens in a new window. installed.

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