Transport to education provider
Transport for young people aged 19 to 25
It is important to know that even if your child was eligible for home to school transport when they were of compulsory school age, the law for young people over 16 is different, and there is no entitlement to transport. The law around providing transport for students aged 19 and over is also different from that for students aged 16 to 19. It is called the ‘adult transport duty’. If a local authority considers it necessary for an adult over 19 to have transport provision, then this must be provided free of charge. A local authority can also choose to pay some of the reasonable costs of transport depending on the circumstances.
Government guidance Post-16 transport and travel support to education and training says:
The overall intention of the adult transport duty is to ensure that:
Those with the most severe disabilities with no other means of transportation are able to undertake further education and training after their 19th birthday to help them move towards more independent living.
You can check the IPSEA website for more information about the law around providing transport for students aged 19 and over.
In Buckinghamshire, young people aged 19 to 25 with SEND and an EHC plan may get free transport to and from their education provider. To get this, a young person must:
- live in Buckinghamshire
- not be able to use public transport by themselves because of their SEND
The young person must also be going to a college that:
- allows them to meet the intended outcomes of their EHC plan
- is more than 3 miles away from their home, or under 3 miles if they cannot use public transport independently because of their SEND or the route is unsafe
Parents, carers, and young people with an EHC plan can find out if they qualify for free 19 to 25 transport for education by speaking to the young person's social worker.
More details can be found in section 9 of Buckinghamshire Council's Post-16 Transport Policy Statement 2023/24.
If a young person with SEND does not have an EHC plan, Buckinghamshire Council may be able to pay some money towards their travel to and from their education provider.
To get this, they will need an assessment as part of the Care Act 2014.
Read more in section 11 of Buckinghamshire Council's Post-16 Transport Policy Statement 2023/24
Parents, carers, and young people without an EHC plan should email the Community Reablement Team if they have questions about free 19 to 25 transport for education.