Below are details on the concessionary travel scheme for 2008-09.
Introduction
South Gloucestershire Council's Department for Children and Young People make transport arrangements for pupils who are entitled to transport to school by law or under one of the South Gloucestershire Education Committee's policies. Sometimes there are spare seats on this transport and the education committee has agreed that these places should be made available for payment, to other pupils wishing to travel to school on the same route. This arrangement is known as the Concessionary Travel Scheme.
Conditions of the Concessionary Travel Scheme
We are pleased to be able to make seats available for concessionary travellers, but as the vehicles used for concessionary travel are primarily for entitled pupils it is necessary to impose the following conditions:
- Availability of concessionary places - a concessionary place is only available if it is not required for an entitled passenger. For this reason, we are not able to guarantee a seat being available. If we need the seat in the future for an entitled passenger or the route is altered or ceases to run, the concessionary place will be withdrawn. This may be at very short notice. This means that in these circumstances you would have to make your own transport arrangements
- Routes and pick-up points - the route used by the vehicle is arranged for entitled passengers. Concessionary passengers must use the pick-up/drop-off points already arranged and diversion of the route for concessionary passengers is not normally possible
- Fees - the fee is set by the Department for Children and Young People and is normally reviewed annually to keep it in line with inflation. Each year the revised fees will be notified on the application form.
Concessionary places when available will be provided free of charge for pupils who are eligible for free school meals
Application
Concessionary places are extremely popular for some schools and are often oversubscribed. To ensure all applications for a place are dealt with in a fair and consistent way, places will be allocated by drawing lots.
Application is on a form provided by the Department for Children and Young People (Student Access and Support) and available from them or from the Integrated Transport Unit. The form should be returned to:
Student Access and Support
Department for Children and Young People
South Gloucestershire Council
Riverside Court
Bowling Hill
Chipping Sodbury
South Gloucestershire BS37 6JX.
Application forms will be available from 1st May each year and should be submitted before 31st July. At this time they will be held until the draw takes place.
Also
- An application should be made for each individual child and only one application per child will be accepted
- Applications must be on the current year's application form showing current fees
- Applications made on previous years' forms will not be accepted
- Any applications received after 31st July will be held separately until the draw has taken place and seats allocated. These applications will then be considered for any remaining seats
- The draw will be held at Thornbury Council Offices on a date in August. Once this date is arranged it will be communicated to all applicants. Interested parties may wish to attend the draw
- If you wish to check the availability of a suitable route, please telephone the Integrated Transport Unit. Places cannot be reserved over the telephone but we will be pleased to give details of current routes, pick-up points etc.
- If an application is approved and the fee is paid, a pass will be issued to you for the use of your child on the vehicle. No pupil travelling as a concessionary passenger will be allowed to travel unless in possession of the appropriate pass. Drivers will require the pass to be shown when boarding the vehicle
- If an application is approved and no fee received by 15th September, the place will be reallocated
Renewals
- Transport arrangements are made for the school year. Once an application has been accepted, a seat allocated and payment received, the Integrated Transport Unit will issue a renewal notice prior to the beginning of the January and April terms for that school year
- If you wish to apply for a concessionary place in future years you must re-apply
- Application forms for annual renewal are not issued automatically. You need to obtain an application form as detailed above and send it to Student Access and Support
What happens if my application is unsuccessful?
If the application is submitted before 31st July it will be drawn at the 'official draw' in August. If sufficient places are not available on the route the applicant's details will be held on a waiting list. Places will be allocated from this waiting list as and when seats become available, in accordance with the draw position.
For example if 4 seats are available and your application is drawn 6th, you will be 2nd on the waiting list.
What happens if I have more that one child applying for places?
An application form is required for each child applying for a concessionary place. Each application will be treated on an individual basis and places allocated accordingly. It may be possible therefore, that multiple applications from one family may not necessarily all be successful.
What happens if I turn down a place and then wish to take it back up at a later date?
If there are further applications for this seat, the seat will be reallocated and your application will go to the bottom of the list.
If there are no further applications for this seat it may be possible, on payment of the appropriate fee, to reallocate the place to you.
Contacts
Student Access and Support
Department for Children and Young People
Riverside Court, Bowling Hill
Chipping Sodbury
South Gloucestershire
BS37 6JX
Telephone: 01454 863310/863314
Integrated Transport Unit
Telephone: 01454 863925/26/24