FAQ’s
Who can travel on a school bus?
The general rule is that students attending school/campus are eligible to travel on a school bus service. Students attending their school/campus may access a school bus subject to seating capacity and upon payment of a fare.
Is there a registration process for school bus transportation?
There is a registration process; parents and students can receive transportation information from their respective campus or by contacting the transport help desk.
How do I apply for my child to catch the school bus?
There is an online registration process, there will be link sent to you with the USER ID & PASSWORD, After filling in the details, the transport helpdesk will be notified and acknowledged & once the routing is done, you will get the information of the bus service or of the outcome in a timely manner. Parents/guardians and students must agree to those conditions of travel.
How long will it take for my child to receive transportation?
For all the new registrations, at peak times, under normal conditions, it may take up to 2 (two) business days from the time Transportation receives the request for your child to be placed on a bus route. The parent is responsible for the child’s transportation during this period.
Can my child continue to travel on the school bus if we move house during the year?
A change of address automatically triggers a reassessment of your child’s eligibility and requires parents/guardians to submit a new request online. The change of address may mean your child is still eligible but is required to change bus services or needs to be picked up and dropped off at a different stop. Conversely, the move may see your child residing within the current slab, or else the new slab will be charged and the same has to be paid. Parents must notify the student’s school’s transport help desk regarding any address changes, phone number changes, or updated transportation requests.
What is my child’s bus number? How do I find out what bus my child will be riding?
Parents will receive an automated SMS approximately two to three days prior to the first day of school; this communication will contain the student’s bus info (bus number, pick up/drop off tentative times, and bus stop location). If parents have not received a SMS two days prior to the beginning of school, please call the transport co-ordinator or check in the online portal.
What is the process for getting a bus stop moved?
Parents/guardians wishing to have the location of a bus stop reviewed, need to write to the bus coordinator of their school’s bus network and detail their reasons for wanting the review. The bus coordinator at your child’s school can advise on the pickup point, timings.
Do school buses travel during strikes & riots?
In forecast emergencies school bus services will be canceled if any part of a route is deemed at risk. Bus services will not be diverted even if only a small section of the overall route is affected. This is to ensure student safety. If buses are in transit, they may be returned to the school if safe to do so.
I have concerns about my child getting to and from the bus stop. Is there anything the school/transport provider can do?
Under the conditions of travel parents are responsible for transporting their child to and from authorised bus stops and their safety while at the bus stop.
Can a school bus that is garaged near my house pick-up/drop-off my child on its way to and from starting/finishing its school run?
No, drivers are not permitted to carry students on the way to or from the start and end of a school run. For safety reasons, students must be picked up and dropped off at designated bus stops
The bus driver told me I am not allowed to get on the bus. Is that true?
“YES”, the driver “shall have complete authority over and responsibility for the operation of the bus and the maintaining of good order and conduct upon such bus.” Further, any person boarding the bus after being told not to by the driver is guilty.
Are students allowed to stand on the school bus or to sit in the aisles?
Absolutely not. Transporters have to provide seating for each student on the bus and that standees are strictly prohibited. Further, each student must be completely seated in the school bus seat. The same policy requires that the capacity of the bus cannot be exceeded.
How far may a child be asked to walk to a school bus stop?
The Routing Department will determine the best corner stop for the student and the bus route that is less than 1km from the student’s home address. Most students walk less than 0.5km to their assigned stop.
My bus is late. Why is it late? Who should I contact?
Weather, traffic, driver absenteeism, maintenance difficulties, and unforeseen incidents are responsible for delays in the arrival of school buses in the morning and afternoon. Sometimes, bus routes must be doubled or run as a second route if the regular driver is absent. The Transportation coordinator is available to answer your questions from 7:00 am until the last student is off the bus.
Why can’t you call when you know the bus will be late?
It is our goal to provide transportation to those students who qualify, every day, on time. Unfortunately, unexpected glitches such as traffic delays, shortage of drivers, etc. may mean your child’s bus is late for pick up or drop off. Because of the rapid nature of these delays, we may not be able to give you a specific time.One of our biggest challenges to date has been maintaining current contact information for parents, many of whom change phone numbers and do not update the phone number with the school/transport help desk.
Why does my child have to be at the bus stop five minutes before the pickup time?
There are many factors that may affect the time a driver arrives at a given stop. Daily traffic patterns and student loads are unpredictable and may cause a driver’s time to vary. These situations, plus differences in clock times, have proven over the years that arriving five minutes early gives students an adequate window of time to ensure they catch the bus.
“Better one hour too soon than a minute too late”
William Shakespeare
My driver did not wait for my child to come outside.
Because drivers are responsible for arriving on time to each stop, including stops for any other students on the route after your child, drivers will not wait for students. Keep in mind that longer wait times can lead to significant delays at any other stops on the route. Students should be ready to board 5 minutes in advance of the scheduled pick-up time
My child missed the bus. Will the driver come back?
Because drivers are responsible for arriving on time to each stop, including stops for any other students on the route after your child, drivers will not return to pick up students that missed the bus. Students should be ready to board 5 minutes in advance of the scheduled pick-up time. At this stage the parent is responsible to transport the child to the school.
Why can’t my child get off wherever she/he wants in the afternoon?
A child may get dropped off at an alternate location only in an extreme emergency. A note stating exact instructions pertaining to the temporary drop off location must be written by the parent and approved by the school administrator. The school administrator will give the note to the transport coordinator.
Can my child get off the bus without a parent/guardian there to meet them? Or if I don’t bring the ID card? What happens if I am not there to pick him/her up at the bus stop?
A parent/guardian/designee is required to be at the stop for students. Students in higher grades are not required to have an adult at the stop. If no parent/guardian is at the stop to receive a student. If the parent/guardian is present and did not bring the ID card: the student will be taken back to school & it is the parent’s responsibility to pick up the child from the school.
My child was bullied on the bus. Who can I contact?
Transportation sees the school bus as an extension of the classroom. While drivers/attenders are responsible for reporting incidents as they occur, it is recommended that you reach out directly to your child’s school for more information. Principals will review the situation and make a determination on next steps for your child.
What if I need the bus to drop off my child at a location other than the home or morning pick-up location?
We will only accommodate alternate stops if the stop already exists on an established route and the stop & you have to write an email to the school authorities & the transport help desk, well in advance.
What should a parent/guardian do if a student that is assigned to ride a school bus does not arrive home within a reasonable time after the appointed bus stop drop off time, or is not on the bus when it arrives at the bus stop?
The parent/guardian should first check the parent app for the live tracking of the bus, or contact the school if the bus is running late or if for some reason the student missed getting on the bus prior to departure from the school. If the parent/guardian is unable to make contact with the school or the school has already closed for the day, the parent/guardian should contact the coordinator of transport.
What process should a parent/guardian use if they have a concern regarding their child’s school bus transportation, i.e. bus stop assignment, inconsistent schedule of bus arrival at the assigned bus stop, discipline at the bus stop or on the bus, etc?
Parent/guardian concerns regarding student transportation should be contacted directly to write a mail to the transport help desk.
What if I registered my student for school transportation and do not receive school bus transportation information, who do I call?
You can call your student’s Transportation coordinator .
How can I determine my student(s) bus stop location(s) and arrival time(s)?
By accessing the school bus app on the Internet. While there, you may search for the current school assignment, bus route information, and any future Board adopted boundary changes by entering the student’s name, and following the prompts.
My student lives with me 3 days a week and my ex-spouse 2 days a week. This will require my student to have fluctuating schedules, is this allowed?
Students will not be permitted to have “fluctuating schedules”. This means that students will not be permitted to have certain days of the week on which to pick-up or drop-off at one location, and then another location the rest of the week. Fluctuating schedules introduce too much of a risk for safety to the student.
Can a Parent or the other adult ride the school bus?
Parents and other adults are generally not allowed to ride school buses with the exception of school field trips. School buses are provided for students/teachers to ride to and from school . . . not as a form of transportation for parents or the general public.
Can my child ride the bus to private music lessons, scouts, study groups or non-curricular activities out of the school?
Transportation is provided for students only from home to school and from school to home. No requests for personalized busing services will be considered (i.e. transportation to birthday parties, music lessons, scouts, study groups, etc.). Additionally, bus routing and stops will not be modified to accommodate any business or private enterprise. However the bus stops will be provided for kindergarten students to drop them at the daycare if the stop is in the existing route.
What do I do if I think my child’s bus stop is in an unsafe location?
E-mail the request (“Request for Change/New Bus Stop”) to our transport help desk. Transportation coordinator will investigate the concern and provide a response following the investigation.
I don‘t feel comfortable sending my child down the street to catch the bus. Why can’t they stop at my house?
Safety is our primary consideration when determining bus stops. The bus driver follows set procedures in executing each stop including stopping, observing, opening the door, boarding or releasing passengers, closing the door, etc. It is safer for stops to be distributed along a route to provide optimal distance and time for the driver/attenders to complete all safety action steps. More stops also increase the length of the bus ride.
Finally, we believe there is safety in numbers. Many students and parents find walking/waiting in groups provides extra security.
I cannot see my child’s bus stop from my house. Should this be a concern?
Visibility from home to the bus stop is not part of the transportation’s criteria when establishing bus stops. Bus stops are collection points within a neighborhood. If a parent/guardian is concerned about watching their child at the stop, we recommend they accompany their child to and from the stop.
What happens when my child is given a “referral” for inappropriate behavior from the bus driver?
Behavioral expectations on the school bus are much like those in the classroom. Add in the mobility of that “classroom” and traffic, added noise and the size of the “classroom” and you have a potential catastrophe if there are not clear expectations and enforcement.
The behavioral expectations on the bus revolve around the individual rights of every person on the bus, including the driver/attenders and the collective rights of students and driver/attenders as it pertains to safety. Anything that jeopardizes the safety of individuals on the bus is viewed as serious. Our drivers/attenders have bus rules or expectations posted on the bus.
When there is an infraction, a referral is turned in to school administrators, who are responsible for contacting the student and parent to resolve the lack of compliance with bus expectations. The school administrator is solely responsible for consequences based on the incident as described by the driver/attenders and student. Our goal is never to deny any student transportation to and from school, but we must maintain safety for all students.
When addressing inappropriate behavior on the school bus drivers/attenders use progressive steps for less serious behaviors. Our goal is to share expectations and “remind and reteach.” When a student receives a referral that means progressive steps to change behavior have not worked or the behavior was serious enough to warrant a first offense referral. Additional information on bus expectations and how violations are handled is attached.
Are school buses safe?
School buses are thoroughly inspected by the school authorities whenever required. Additionally, our buses are inspected by RTO personnel on a scheduled basis and routinely serviced. Traveling in a school bus is the safest form of ground transportation in the world for the students.
What is the screening process for hiring bus drivers/attenders to make certain they are qualified to be around children?
All bus drivers/attenders are fingerprinted and have a criminal background check before they are hired. Additionally, each bus driver’s driving record is reviewed annually; he/she submits to pre-employment Medical testing plus daily alcohol testing is done at the parking, before they are deployed to the duty.
Are there areas or roads where no bus service is provided?
Yes, there are certain roads in the city where buses do not travel for a variety of reasons. Some roads are subject to restrictions due to hazards brought about by the civic authorities, while others are year-round restrictions because of the steepness of the road or the inability of a bus to safely travel/navigate the road. If you have questions about a particular road please contact the transportation coordinator
Are there any items that are NOT ALLOWED on school buses?
Yes . . . To keep students safe and to follow state law, the following items are not allowed on a school bus:
1. Oversized objects, such as athletic equipment and large musical instruments that cannot fit safely on a student’s lap or between their legs in a seat. Large objects restrict a student’s ability to board the bus without harming themselves and others or damaging the bus
2. Glass objects such as bottles or jars.
3. Open containers of food and drink or gum.
The school bus passes right by my house. Why can’t the driver stop and pick up my child?
Our buses pass by the homes of many students when traveling to and from school. To stop at individual homes along the way would greatly impact route efficiency. It would add time to the route and students would not get to school on time.
I have a special needs child. How do I arrange for transportation services?
Contact your child’s special needs teacher or transportation coordinator to begin the process for transportation services. Once the school authorities receive the transportation request from Special Services we will add your child to a special needs List & instruct the driver/attenders to take care of the child, and provide you with bus information.
What is the maximum time a student may ride his/her school bus?
There is no identified target number that schools are obligated to meet. Ride times vary by traffic, locality and numerous other criteria; therefore, each school ride times can be different.