School Bus fares

[hermanmunster]

Good old WMPTE!!! - used to have really good value travel cards even in the 70's. There are other cities with similar but it does tend to be cities rather than rural areas

[mike1880]

WMPTE is no more, it's National Express now but the system is still holding up (bus-only is even cheaper - just over £70 a term ).

Even for the Green Bus school buses, which run some pretty lengthy journeys, the price is £495 for the whole year (less if you have a very short trip or multiple children), £450 for one term is just a rip off.

Mike

[sherry_d]

From one school brochure I have

£385 or £395 per term depending on how far you live from school

The amount incudes a late study and tea (if charged separately the tea and study is £2)

This school is a Monday to Friday school and I wonder if it would be more if they had saturday school?

Does the transport charge have an extras in it, as that seems to bump up the cost?

[Snowdrops]

My dd travels 10 miles each way to school and her bus pass cost me £360 for the year, which includes unlimited travel on all buses within our district.

If she'd gone to the indie school it would have cost £220 a term to travel 3 miles each way!

[moved]

WMPTE buses. The cheapest way to travel. I used to travel from Wolverhampton to Birmingham for a song.

Regarding bus prices. State school travel from Chelmsford to the Southend schools is £394.20 per term. The train pass going the other way was cheaper and gave the flexibility of weekend travel to orchestra.

[Thea]

Even not in the sticks, bus fares serious part of equation. We are in outer London where there is lot of transport, but can onvolcv several changes.
Top Indie is more expensive at initlial glance than second top indie. We are roughly equidistant as the crow flies, but indie 2 by road takes long as has to skirt richmond park. When you factor in the DS charge to Indie 1 on a public bus (FOC to U16s with Oyster Card) and that lunches are included, Indie 2, which has a school bus @ £525 per (very short) term, comes out much higher. Could get to Indie 2 by public bus, but involves changing buses ( walk during that change, not adjacent). We chose Indie one, and this was a significant factor.

[splishy]

we pay £420-£450 per term too - depends on how many weeks there are in the term. However they lay on two buses on the return journey, a standard bus and a late bus for those taking part in after school teams or activities. I think it's pretty much the going rate. We live at the end of the route so get the full benefit but it's the same charge whether you get on at the first or the last pick up point.

[Suey12]

For our 1st choice indie (still on reserve list !!!), we were quoted £4.50 per day for the bus (which still isn't finalised yet, and I may still have to drive - 4 x 30 mins per day - would happily pay the bus fare !!).

Aah, harking back to my GS days, took the local public bus, for 6p each way. Now that ages me !

[splishy]

forgetting the expense for a minute - the other thing is they really enjoy getting the bus. it's a good bonding opportunity and helps them get to know the kids in the older years quickly. My Ds was rather proud to be on nickname terms with the older boys within a week or so. In fact, if I'm travelling in the direction of school and offer him a lift instead of the bus he normally turns me down!

[dadofkent]

Applause for Kent County Council and local Bus companies. Schoolchildren 11-16, £50-00 per year unlimited travel on buses. Not sure it will last though.