Terms and conditions of travel

1. When parents apply for a seat under the Spare Seat Scheme, places are offered in the following order of priority (If there are multiple applicants within the same priority group, seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis according to the date and time of the online application.):

• First priority is given to renewal applications so that, where possible, children who have previously had a spare seat can continue to have one. However, we cannot guarantee that a spare seat will continue to be available on any given route. This includes year 11 students moving into sixth form at the same school, on the same route. If the student is changing school and wants to go on a different route, this isn't considered a renewal application.
• The next priority is given to these priority groups in the following order:
  • looked-after children and former looked-after children who have been adopted.
  • children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
  • children of armed forces personnel as part of the Buckinghamshire Armed Forces Covenant.
• Next priority is given to siblings of students given a place under priority one, renewal applications.
• After that, remaining spare seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis according to the date and time of the online application.

2. The council’s Spare Seat Scheme is for timetabled buses only and no smaller vehicles are advertised with spare seats for sale.

3. If transport is offered under the Spare Seat Scheme, it is the parent's or carer's responsibility to ensure payment is made by the deadline. The payment deadline will be set out in your spare seat offer letter.

4. Failure to pay by the required date will result in the place being offered to another student. The next opportunity to apply for a spare seat will be for the following term, however, we cannot guarantee that spaces will be available on the required route.

If you have opted to pay monthly or termly, you must ensure that you are able to pay all of the payments. If payments are not kept up, your child’s place will be taken away and you will be required to pay the remaining period of the term that you have cancelled payments in.

If you need more flexibility with transport, for example if transport is only needed for the first two terms, then the alternative shorter termly payment methods should be considered.

If transport is offered, it is the parent’s or carer’s responsibility to ensure payment is made in advance of the period their child is travelling. Passes are not valid before the period chosen and paid for.

Read more about what Spare Seats cost and how to pay.

5. Spare Seat fees are published each March and are subject to an increase each year.

The Client Transport Team recognise the importance of the Spare Seat Scheme to the families concerned. We will do our best, once a place on scheme has been offered, to keep it for the student during their time at that school. However, a guarantee cannot be given that a place on the Spare Seat Scheme will not be withdrawn at some future date.

The council reserves the right to withdraw transport from a student on the Spare Seat Scheme where any of the following apply:

• the place is needed for an eligible student
• the route is subject to change with a reduced seating capacity
• the route ceases to run
• other operational reasons.

Where a Spare Seat Scheme place has to be withdrawn by the council, parents/ carers will receive no less than five working days’ notice to enable them to make alternative arrangements. For the avoidance of doubt, a “working day” is any day that the Client Transport team are in work i.e. five working days will usually cover seven calendar days, except where there are bank holidays.

Withdrawal of Spare Seat places will be according to the reverse of the priority order listed at the top of this section.

6. View the Spare Seat Scheme cancellation and refund policy in full.

7. Links to school closure and bus disruption information is available from our webpages at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/school-transport and you agree to use this service in the event of a delayed or cancelled day of transport.

The Client Transport Team will use your (parent or carer) email address as the main form of contact regarding your child’s paid-for spare seat on transport. You must ensure your email address is kept up to date. Failure to do so may result in your child’s place being lost.