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Buying a travel pass for school or college

How to buy a travel pass for school or college, how much it costs, reapplying for a pass, how to cancel a direct debit and receive a refund.

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Can I buy a travel pass for school or college?

If you want to buy a travel pass for the academic year 2023/2024 you can do that using our Apply to buy a travel pass online form. Applications will not be accepted until 1 July 2023. Parents, carers or guardians are encouraged to apply in July 2023 as seats will be allocated in the priority order shown below.

Please note: applications received after 31 July 2023 will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Priority will be given in the following order:

  • A child who is in the care of the local authority or is provided with accommodation by the authority and is supported by the authority’s Children’s Services Department BUT not in receipt of free transport
  • Sixth form students currently attending Year 12
  • Sixth form students moving into Year 12 in September of that academic year
  • Children living in the catchment area with a sibling already attending the school
  • Children living in the catchment area on a first come, first served basis
  • Out of catchment area children with a sibling already attending the school
  • Other out of catchment area children on a first come, first served basis.

Please note: we do not sell passes for the following schools:

Howden High School

The Snaith School

The Market Weighton School

Year 12 students starting September 2023

We encourage parents to apply for transport as soon as possible after 1 July 2023 and not wait until after GCSE results have been received. This will provide your child with a greater chance of securing a seat. If the student's situation changes and they no longer require transport, the application can be cancelled by:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk before 31 August 2023.

This will ensure no direct debit payments are taken, or if payment has already been made before this time, a full refund will be provided within 10 days via the payment details you used when you paid for the pass.

Can my child’s pass be withdrawn?

If all the seats on the bus are allocated and you paid for a seat for your child, but a child who is entitled for free transport needs a seat, your child’s bus pass will be withdrawn to accommodate the child who is entitled to free transport.

Find out how much it costs and how to pay.

If you are a low-income family, you may qualify for a 50% reduction in the cost of a purchased bus pass if you receive any of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (providing the person is not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and has an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Universal Credit - household income must be less than £7,400 per year (after tax and not including any benefits you receive)

If you think you are eligible, please email transport.requests@eastriding.gov.uk to request an application form.

How can I apply to buy a travel pass?

Apply to buy a travel pass

You must be a parent, carer or legal guardian of the pupil you are applying for. As the applicant, you can live outside of East Riding of Yorkshire as long as any addresses provided for the pupil to travel are:

  • within East Riding of Yorkshire

  • occupied by a parent, carer or legal guardian of the pupil.

You can apply to buy a travel pass:

  • after 1 July in the school year before the travel pass will be used

  • until 30 June in the summer term of the school year in which the pass is to be used

If you are applying for a travel pass after 30 June in any academic year, your child can pay the daily fare.

However, if there are no seats the child may have to stand.

Please note: completing this form will only add you to a waiting list. However, you will be expected to pay in advance. If you are not given a place on the bus, you will be refunded within 10 working days via the payment method you used to pay.

How much does a travel pass cost?

School travel passes cost £620 for travel throughout the academic year (September to July).

The cost for an annual travel pass works out cheaper than paying on a day-to-day basis for bus services or using a taxi. For example, an annual bus pass which costs £620 works out as £3.26 return per day, compared to £2.50 single or £4.00 return.

Find out more about travelling on our buses without a pass.

If you make an application part way through the year, you will be charged a pro rata fee. This will ensure that you only pay for the time you are using the pass, not the whole year.

Are there any discounts if I buy more than one travel pass?

There are no discounts given to families purchasing more than one travel pass.

Can a travel pass be used on more than one bus route?

No. Your child may need to travel to and from different addresses on various days of the week due to personal circumstances or before/after school care. Unfortunately, the travel pass cannot be used on any other service and clearly shows which route it is valid for. You can apply for an extra route if there are seats which haven’t been allocated.

Children who live out of the school’s defined catchment area will only be able to board a bus at a recognised bus stop within the school's catchment area. It is the parent's responsibility to get their child to and from this bus stop. Transport will not be diverted to pick up children who have no entitlement to transport support under the councils’ policy.

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

Can my children travel on the same bus?

We will try to allocate your children on the same bus as siblings if there are enough seats available. If there aren’t available seats on the same bus, your children will be provided with a travel pass for different buses.

How can I pay for a travel pass?

You can either pay in full by card or pay in instalments by Direct Debit. You will be asked what payment method you want to use while filling the online application form.

Pay in full by card

How much you pay will depend on whether you apply:

  • before 30 September 2023 - you can pay securely by debit or credit card while completing the online application form. It is a one-off payment of £620.

  • after 1 October 2023 - the transport team will contact you after you submit the online form to discuss a pro rata payment for the time left in the year. When they contact you, after your application has been submitted, they will take payment over the phone.

Please note: an application is only a request for transport and will not guarantee a travel pass.

If you are not given a place on the bus, payments made in advance will be refunded within 10 working days via the payment method you used to pay.

Pay by Direct Debit

What you pay and when you pay it will depend on whether you apply:

  • before 31 July 2023 - complete the online form selecting Direct Debit as your payment option. You will be posted a Direct Debit mandate form to complete and post back if there is a seat available. You will pay 9 monthly instalments of £68.98 between September and May, payable on the 5th of each month

  • between 1 August 2023 and 31 August 2023 – complete the online form selecting Direct Debit as your payment option. If there is a seat available you will be posted a Direct Debit mandate form to complete and post back. You will pay 9 monthly instalments of £68.89 between October and June, payable on the 5th of each month

  • between 1 September 2023 and 30 September 2023 – complete the online form selecting Direct Debit as your payment option. If there is a seat available you will be posted a Direct Debit mandate form to complete and post back. You will pay 9 monthly instalments of £68.89 between November and July, payable on the 5th of each month

  • between 1 October 2023 and 31 March 2024– complete the online form selecting Direct Debit as your payment option. If there is a seat available we will contact you to confirm the cost of the pass and payment schedule, before posting you a Direct Debit mandate to complete and post back to us. You will only pay for the remaining days left in the academic year on a pro rata basis. The cost is £3.26 per day.

Please note: if you have previously paid by Direct Debit for a travel pass, you must select the option on the form to continue using the same bank details for this new application. If you do not, we will send you a Direct Debit mandate and your application will be delayed.

When will I receive my pass?

Travel passes will be allocated from 1 August and most will be posted out by the start of the term in September. Passes are normally send 10 days from the day the bus pass application has been submitted.

If you apply after the start of term you will receive your child’s pass only if a seat becomes available. We cannot guarantee that we can allocate a seat for your child. You should find alternative transport in the meantime.

Do I have to reapply for a travel pass every year?

Yes, you need to apply every year because there may not be enough empty seats on the bus service to roll your child’s travel pass over each year, or the service may no longer be available.

What should we do while we are waiting for a pass to arrive?

If you have made your application and are waiting to hear if there is a seat available, it is up to you to ensure your child gets to and from school or college safely.

Read more about public transport options and how to travel on our buses without a pass.

Can I cancel my Direct Debit?

Yes. Please contact us if you wish to cancel your Direct Debit as we need to arrange for you to return the bus pass to us:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

Please note: if you cancel your Direct Debit at any point during the year without returning the bus pass first then the pass will still be classed as in use. We will continue to expect payment until the pass is returned to us.

When is a refund given?

Refunds will be given on travel passes in certain circumstances such as:

  • change of address

  • change of school

  • change of personal circumstances which lead to the student not needing the travel pass.

Where a pass is returned part way through the year, a refund will be given for the unused proportion of the year.

A pass may also be revoked in order to give the seat to a pupil entitled to free transport. If this happens, you will be given two weeks notice. You will not be allowed to use the pass after that. You will be refunded within 10 working days via the payment method you used to pay for the pass.

Refunds will not be given at the end of the school year when pupils are on study leave or have finished for exams. Your Direct Debit must still be paid during this period and will be followed up by the council’s debtor services if they are cancelled.

How to appeal if my bus pass application has been refused?

If you are refused free school or college transport you can ask for your case to be considered by the Director of Children, Families and Schools. You can appeal if you believe that there are special and exceptional circumstances in your case which justify your child being treated differently to everyone else.

If you want to make an application to the Director of Children, Families and Schools, you can request an application form to be sent to you by email or telephone:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

Can I get a replacement travel pass?

You need to replace your child’s travel pass if:

  • the pass is damaged

  • the pass is lost

  • you need to change the name on the pass

  • you need to change the photo on the pass

  • the pass stopped working

  • the pass has been stolen

There is a £10 fee for replacing damaged, lost or stolen travel passes. A pass is classed as damaged if you can not clearly see all of the following:

  • school name

  • bus route number

  • photo

  • expiry date

  • child's name

Please note: the £10 fee is applicable for all pupils – even if they received a free travel pass.

Buy a replacement travel pass

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