FAQs
The pupil lives within a maximum of a 1.5-miles/2.4km (urban) or 1.8-miles/3.0km3 (rural) walk to their nearest, suitable school and are physically capable of undertaking the journey because:
there is a suitable walking route, and
they do not have any mobility limiting disability that would prevent them from walking, wheeling, and cycling the required distance; and have the mental capability, confidence, and maturity to undertake the walk.
To be suitable the walking, wheeling or cycle route to school must have the following critical factors along the whole route:
Paving
Street Lighting
Suitable Crossings
The pupil lives within a reasonable distance along a suitable walking, wheeling, and cycling path to a public transport stop. Reasonable distance is considered 800m of the pupils dwelling for and Urban environment and 1000m for a rural setting.
Public transport stop must have a public transport service (Bus, Train, or Mass Transit option in future) that will take the pupil to within walking distance of their nearest suitable school or to a connecting service that will do
Public transport service will arrive at a time when children have access to the school building, taking account of the time taken to walk from the public transport stop or up to half an hour before the start of the day.
Public transport service will depart at a time after school during which the school building is still open, taking account of the time taken to walk to the public transport stop or up to half an hour after the end of the school day.
Appleton Academy, Bradford - B99
Beckfoot School, Bradford - B50
Cockburn School / Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy, Leeds - S62
Crossley Heath Grammar School, Halifax - C6
St Mary’s Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leeds - SM25
Titus Salt School, Bradford - S64 and S66 (proposed to be replaced with one service, S69)
There are potential active travel alternatives for students.
There are suitable public transport alternatives for students.
The service does not meet the Combined Authority’s value for money criteria (£2.35 per passenger trip).
The service transports students to a school with an admissions policy based on academic selection, which is a specific exclusion set out in the Policy.
Why can’t the Combined Authority afford to pay for services?
The cost for tendering bus services has increased dramatically in the past five years. This is due to a number of factors including fuel cost and driver wage inflation. This is a national trend and not just in West Yorkshire.
The Combined Authority needs to work within its available budgets when determining what it can provide in terms of bus services.
School services are not isolated from the wider pressures and the Combined Authority is implementing the new policy to make sure we are providing the best possible services in relation to equity of access to schools, a fair share of funding between our local authority partners, and proportionate provision when considering other modes like walking, wheeling, and cycling, and the conventional public transport network (bus, train, and, in future, tram).
What does the value for money measure mean?
The Combined Authority’s value for money criteria stipulates the maximum subsidy that should be provided for each passenger trip. It is currently £2.35 per passenger trip. Broadly, this means that around 60 passengers need to travel on standard single deck or double deck buses to make services affordable.
Why don’t you just put on smaller buses if numbers are low?
There is only a small difference between the cost of operating a single deck and double deck bus and the cost of operating a smaller bus. This is because the cost of the driver is the same regardless of the vehicle size and many double deck and single deck vehicles are older and already fully depreciated in terms of their value. Therefore, although they might be cheaper to run, the cost per passenger trip still exceeds the value for money criteria as described above.
Will my child be safe travelling to school?
We want children and young people to be able to travel safely and independently to school by walking, wheeling, cycling, or using public transport. Although we cannot guarantee safety in all circumstances, we are committed to working to try ensure this, as far as possible. For example, we are committed to the ongoing delivery of a range of free road safety training and education through the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership, to ensure our young people have the skills to keep themselves safe when traveling independently in their neighbourhoods, to and from school.
More broadly, we’re working to make bus travel safer across West Yorkshire, including through our Bus Safety Feedback Tool and Enhanced Safer Travel partnership with the local police, which has deployed Police Community Support Officers across services and bus stations.
We will also coordinate with our Local Authority partners to provide improvements to road safety wherever possible so that your child can safely walk, wheel and cycle to school.
Where active travel has been identified as a potential alternative for students, an assessment of available active travel routes, including safety audit, will be carried out using the Government’s Active Travel England Toolkit during the period of the consultation. The outcome of this will inform the Combined Authority’s decision on whether or not to withdraw school bus services.
What does the 1.5 miles distance mean in practice?
The walk is expected to be capable of being undertaken unaccompanied by an adult therefore:
When will the active travel route assessments be available?
This is a complicated process and it is important that we get this right. They will be undertaken during the period of consultation and published as soon as they are ready.
Could a decision to remove services be taken even if the route assessment hasn’t been completed?
Yes, but only if there are suitable public transport alternatives. The decision wouldn’t be made on the basis of the active travel route.
What is a “public transport alternative,” and how is it assessed?
Those who cannot walk, wheel or cycle should be able and feel confident to use public transport services to get to school.
Pupils will be considered capable of utilising a public transport service to travel to their school when the following criteria are met:
Which six services have been identified as not meeting the criteria?
This is for one or more of the following reasons:
Why are selective schools not covered by the policy?
This is because attendance at a selective school is unquestionably a matter of parental choice. It is also because students travel considerable distances to selective schools and services are expensive to operate. The Combined Authority will only provide services to these schools on the basis that, collectively, parents meet the full cost of transport.
Who will decide if any of the six services are withdrawn and when will it be taken?
The decision on whether to withdraw these services will be taken at the meeting of the Combined Authority on 4 December 2025.
Services would be withdrawn from Sept 2026
When will changes come into effect for students and families?
If the decision is taken to withdraw any of these services, they will stop running at the end of the current school year.
Are there any exemptions or circumstances where a student might still receive travel support?
The policy excludes pupils with additional access requirements, for example SEND pupils, who are eligible for additional support through their respective local authority.
How can I appeal a decision or raise concerns about a particular service?
We recognise there may be instances where a parent or carer believes this policy has not been applied appropriately to a child or young person’s travel to school requirements.
Our Appeals Process aims to provide a clear pathway for parents and carers to ask the Combined Authority to review the application of this policy. Details of how to appeal can be found in the policy document.
How often will school services be reviewed ?
The Combined Authority will review home to school transport provision to secondary schools on an annual basis, in line with the new policy.
Will linked primary school service P98 be withdrawn if a decision is taken to withdraw service SM25?
No, the service will still operate in in the 2026/27 school year regardless of the outcome of this consultation. However, all primary school services will be reviewed ahead of the 2027/28 school year and any consultations relating to these services will take place in September 2026.
Will linked primary school service P64 be withdrawn if a decision is taken to withdraw service S64?
No, the service will still operate in in the 2026/27 school year regardless of the outcome of this consultation. However, all primary school services will be reviewed ahead of the 2027/28 school year and any consultations relating to these services will take place in September 2026.
Will linked primary school service P66 be withdrawn if a decision is taken to withdraw service S66?
No, the service will still operate in in the 2026/27 school year regardless of the outcome of this consultation. However, all primary school services will be reviewed ahead of the 2027/28 school year and any consultations relating to these services will take place in September 2026.