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Free school transport

How to check if your child is eligible for free school transport, how to apply for free transport, information about changing your allocated bus service and how to get a replacement travel pass.

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Is my child eligible for free school transport?

Your child might be eligible for free school transport if:

  • they receive free school meals and live within the qualifying distance from your home to their school (see Please note section below)
  • you receive your maximum level of working tax credit and live within the qualifying distance from your home to your child’s school
  • you receive a letter from East Riding of Yorkshire Council stating your child’s entitlement
  • your home address is within the school catchment area and over the qualifying walking distance to the school
  • your child is attending their nearest catchment area school and the walking route to and from that school has been assessed as unsuitable walking route by the council. OR if the measured available walking route when the child is accompanied by an adult can be walked in reasonable safety and is over the qualifying walking distance.


If your child is automatically eligible for free school transport when they transfer from Year 6 to Year 7, you will receive a letter from East Riding of Yorkshire Council by the end of April. This letter will explain how to apply for your child’s free transport pass.

Not sure if your child is eligible?

If you have any questions or require help, please contact us:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

How is the route assessed as an acceptable walking route?

All routes to school are assessed utilising the Road Safety GB guidelines:

Assessment of Walked Routes to School - Guidelines Revised April 2021 (external pdf)

The decision on whether a child is accompanied must remain with the parent/carer and is not necessarily age dependant but will depend on the individual route and the child’s ability and maturity. Where a parent feels their child requires accompanying, this is a responsibility of the parent.

All primary schools are offered pedestrian training to year 4 pupils and cycle training in years 5/6.

Year 6 children also receive Moving On training/presentation which equips children with information around their travel to secondary school.

Key Points to note:

Behaviour of the road user - It is presumed that all road users will behave reasonably and responsibly.

Street lighting - On its own the absence of street lighting does not make a route unsafe.

A footway, roadside strip of reasonable width and condition, a public footpath or bridleway will all normally be assumed to provide an available route for that part of the journey.

On a road with light traffic flow a verge that can be stepped on by a child and accompanying parent when traffic is passing can normally be assumed to provide an available route. This is known as a “step off”.

Further road safety advice can be obtained from:

East Riding Road Safety (external council website)

What if my child does not qualify for free school transport?

If your child doesn’t qualify for free school transport, take a look at alternative travel options or a travel pass if the child is attending the school's sixth form or college.

What if my child changes school or we move house?

If your child changes school or moves house mid-way through the academic year, you need to find out if that change will affect your child’s eligibility for free school or college transport.

If your child is eligible for free school transport, you should submit an application once you know when you are moving into the new house or have a start date for the new school.

If your child is not eligible for free school transport, read about alternative travel options or a travel pass if the child is attending the school's sixth form or college.

Can my child get a bus from more than one address?

Unfortunately, in such circumstances where the parents/carers do not live together and the child spends part of the week with each parent/carer, the local authority is not able to provide free travel to and from two separate addresses. If there is eligibility for free transport support, this will be to and from the main place of residence for the child, which will be the address registered with their GP.

Eligible from one address but not the other?

In the circumstances the child is not eligible for free transport support from the second address, the child could use the council's paid for transport services or use the public service bus network.

If you have any questions or require help, please contact us:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

Is my child eligible for free transport to and from sixth form or college?

The council does not provide free transport for students aged 16 and over attending a school’s Sixth Form or college.

We provide college bus and/or taxi services for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These services are not free. You must pay an annual £700 contribution towards it. Read more about travel for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities on the local offer website.

The council allows parents to purchase a bus pass on its existing transport where spare seats are available. Spare seats are allocated on a priority basis. Read about travel pass costs and find out more about buying a travel pass.

If you don’t want to buy a pass, you may want to use public bus services. Students can also pay a daily fare when using the council’s paid for bus services.

Can I change the bus service my child has been allocated to?

When a travel pass has been issued for a specific bus service, we will not usually change the bus service. However, there are instances when we will consider changing the bus service named on the pass if there are good reasons to do so. A child wanting to travel with their friends would not normally be an acceptable reason.

If you want your child to change buses, please send a letter of support from your school together with your own supporting evidence and reasons to:

Email: school.transport@eastriding.gov.uk

How can I apply for free school transport for my child?

Apply for free school transport

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

Information for parents/carers of students starting secondary school in September 2026

If your child has been identified as being automatically eligible for free school transport from September 2026, you receive a letter in May 2026 inviting you to complete an online application form.

Please note: you need to submit your application form by the end of June for your child to receive their travel pass on time.

Photo requirements

We need a recent photo of your child if your child needs a travel pass for secondary school. This should show their head and shoulders and have a plain, light-coloured background. Your child must be facing forward and looking straight into the camera.

  • maximum file size: 20mb
  • file options allowed: JPG, PDF, TIFF or PNG.

What happens after I apply?

If your application is successful you will receive your child’s travel pass within 10 working days after you have submitted your application.

If your child is starting secondary school in September of the new academic year, they will receive their pass at their secondary school’s familiarisation day.

How often do I need to reapply?

You only have to reapply for free school transport if:

  • your child changed schools

  • you have moved house

  • if your child is eligible to free transport because you are in receipt of the maximum working tax credits or you child is eligible for free school transport because they receive free school meals. If this is the case, you will need to make a new application for each new year or part way through the year if your circumstances change.

Can I use my bus pass on different routes to the same school?

The bus pass cannot be used on any other route than the route printed on the pass. The bus route your child is allowed to use and the number of the bus service will be printed on the pass. This is the only route valid for the bus pass.

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

How do I 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 Executive Director of Children, Families and Schools, you can request an application form to be sent to you by email or telephone:

Email: schoolorganisation@eastriding.gov.uk

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Please note:

from September 2026, the Government is extending free school meals to all children from households that receive Universal Credit. Currently, a child is eligible for free school meals and free school transport if their parents have an earned income of less than £7,400 and they meet the relevant criteria about the distance between their home and school. Children who meet the new, higher income threshold for free school meals will not be entitled to these extended rights.

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