Back to school travel - September 2020

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Government Guidance

Across West Yorkshire, in normal times around 20,000 children and young people use the public transport network to travel to school every day. However, to maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, buses and trains are currently only able to carry around half their usual number of passengers.

To make sure that there is enough space on the public transport network for everyone, plans need to be made for the additional journeys that will be made as children return to school in September. These plans may need to assume that children and young people who live less than two miles from school will be asked to consider walking or cycling where it is safe to do so.

In addition to the 20,000 school pupils who usually use public buses, another 20,000 travel on dedicated school buses provided by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and its five partner councils (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield). When schools reopen in full in September, dedicated school buses will resume as before, with a small number of refinements. Government guidance states that these buses will be allowed to use the full capacity of each vehicle. Subject to funding being available, more dedicated school buses may be provided.

Next Steps

Between the 17 and 21 July a period of public engagement was held regarding the proposals. Further information will be posted here when available.


If you have any questions please email us at: yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk


Government Guidance

Across West Yorkshire, in normal times around 20,000 children and young people use the public transport network to travel to school every day. However, to maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, buses and trains are currently only able to carry around half their usual number of passengers.

To make sure that there is enough space on the public transport network for everyone, plans need to be made for the additional journeys that will be made as children return to school in September. These plans may need to assume that children and young people who live less than two miles from school will be asked to consider walking or cycling where it is safe to do so.

In addition to the 20,000 school pupils who usually use public buses, another 20,000 travel on dedicated school buses provided by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and its five partner councils (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield). When schools reopen in full in September, dedicated school buses will resume as before, with a small number of refinements. Government guidance states that these buses will be allowed to use the full capacity of each vehicle. Subject to funding being available, more dedicated school buses may be provided.

Next Steps

Between the 17 and 21 July a period of public engagement was held regarding the proposals. Further information will be posted here when available.


If you have any questions please email us at: yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk


Page last updated: 15 Sep 2020, 12:40 PM