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School Transport

The Council recognises the important role that public transport, especially buses, can play in the provision of safe access to schools. It currently provides free transport to all children who live over two miles from school, in the case of primary school children, and three miles for secondary school pupils. School transport is also provided for children with special needs.

Privilege seats and fare paying buses

Transport provision is also made available for pupils who are not entitled to free transport.

On dedicated school transport services privilege seats are, subject to spare seating capacity, made available to non-entitled pupils on an ongoing basis at a fixed charge. Privilege Pass application forms for the next school year, including details of the current charges, are available from school or you can download one below. You will be invoiced for the appropriate amount. Your invoice will detail options for payment including direct debit which will be collected by four instalments per year.  Transport will be provided until your child leaves primary or secondary school, and we will issue a new pass each year and continue to collect payment unless you advise us otherwise by calling 01224 664031.

Where a privilege seat is requested for a pupil who is not attending his/her zoned school, there is no guartantee that a seat will be provided. If the transport application is approved the pupil will be allocated a pick-up point on the existing school transport route. The Council reserves the right to withdraw transport if the seat is required for a child travelling to his/her zoned school.

If pupils don't use school transport on a regular basis, 10-journey privilege tickets may provide a more cost effective option. These tickets can be purchased from school, but only after transport has been granted. Applications for transport should be submitted to the Public Transport Unit using a 10-Journey Privilege pass application form which is available from school or you can downloaded one below.

A small number of school transport services operate as local bus services which are open to the general public. On these services non-entitled pupils may purchase single, return or 10-journey tickets (providing ten single trips for the price of seven), on the bus. You may also purchase a discounted ‘School Bus Passes’ from the Public Transport Unit. Application forms are available from your school or is available below, In the case of both privilege seats and fare paying buses additional discounts are available for pupils in receipt of free school meals, full details of which are provided by the school. Family discounts are also available.

 

 

If you have queries regarding fare paying school transport you can contact the Public Transport Unit by emailing public.transport@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or telephone 01224 664031.

For route and timetable details of the Local Bus services which operate to/from many schools across Aberdeenshire please visit out Timetables section.

Find out more about Free School Transport and School Travel Plans