Be onboard early for school bus pass or risk losing your seat

The deadline is fast approaching for parents in the East Riding to make an early application for a school transport pass for their child, which will increase their chances of securing a seat.

For school pupils and sixth form students not entitled to free school transport, parents can fill in an application form to buy a travel pass from East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which will then put their child on a waiting list.

Once all seats have been filled by students eligible for free transport, the remaining seats will then be allocated to those who have applied to buy a travel pass, on a priority basis.

Applications received after this Sunday, July 31 will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Parents can apply now for a travel pass by visiting the website www.eastriding.gov.uk/schoolstransport and completing an online form.

Travel passes will be allocated from August 1 and most will be posted out by the start of the autumn term in September.

Students who may be planning to go on to sixth form for the first time, but are waiting for their exam results, are being urged to apply for travel passes now to get on the waiting list, as applications can be easily cancelled if they are not eventually needed.

The council’s school transport team handles thousands of applications every summer for both free and paid-for bus passes.

Councillor Andy Burton, the council’s portfolio holder for planning, highways and transportation, said: “The start of the summer holidays can be a busy time for families, but organising school transport for their children is one of the most important jobs they need to do early.

“So we would encourage parents to get their bus pass applications in now to avoid disappointment in September.”

The website www.eastriding.gov.uk/schoolstransport also carries useful information such as school bus routes and times and allows people to ask questions and report problems.