School Bus

Public Transport Authority & School Bus Service
School Bus Services (SBS) is responsible for providing eligible rural students and students with special needs free transport assistance to and from school on contracted ‘orange’ school buses. These services are critical to ensure that students are able to attend school regularly.

Eligibility for SBS
To be eligible for transport assistance, a rural student attending a mainstream school must, under normal circumstances:
  • Be enrolled at their nearest appropriate school.
  • Be at least three years and six months and less than 19 years of age.
  • Regularly attend their school.
  • Reside more than 4.5km from their school.
  • Reside outside designated Public Transport Areas.
Parents are required to log onto the School Bus Service website at www.schoolbuses.wa.gov.au and complete the on-line application form for Transport Assistance.

Entitlement
Students entitled to transport assistance may receive:
  • Transport by contract school bus, or
  • A conveyance allowance, paid to their parents/carers.
SBS will determine which form of transport assistance is appropriate and made available to individual students. Transport is usually by contract school bus and where this is not possible or impractical the PTA may offer the payment of a conveyance allowance. Only in exceptional circumstances will other forms of transport assistance be considered.

SBS Expected Behaviour
The majority of students who travel on a contract school bus behave appropriately. However, on occasions a small number of students misbehave. When this occurs, it has the potential to cause injury, distract the driver from their work and undermine the safety, timeliness and efficiency of the service.

In the event of serious or continued misbehaviour by a student, SBS may:
  • Withdraw permission for the student to travel on a contract school bus (temporarily or permanently).
  • Withdraw the student’s entitlement to transport assistance.
Parents are encouraged to request a copy of the Behaviour Management Guidelines: for students travelling to and school by Government Contract School Bus.(Public Transport Authority – School Bus Service) from the website or from the Front Office.

SBS Code of Conduct
Students have an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner that ensures both their own comfort and the safety and comfort of others.  To assist student in understanding their obligations the PTA has developed the code of conduct shown below:

Behaviour Examples how to meet the code of conduct
Respect other people and property.
  • Respect other people and their possessions.
  • Follow the bus driver's directions without argument, and
  • Do not interfere with bus property and/or equipment
While on the bus, behave yourself

Students must:

  • Always follow instructions from bus staff.
  • Sit properly on a seat (in an allocated seat if directed by the Driver).
  • Wear a seatbelt (if fitted), at all times and in the correct manner.
  • Store school bags / equipment under the seat or in appropriate luggage areas.
  • Speak quietly and not create unnecessary noise.

Students must not:

  • Bully other passengers.
  • Place feet on the seats.
  • Fight, spit or use offensive language.
  • Throw any article around or from the bus.
  • Consume food or drink, or play music without the permission of the Driver.
  • Use a recording device, of any description, to obtain images /audio of other passengers or the driver.
  • Allow any part of your body to protrude out of the bus windows.
  • Stand while the bus in in motion


School Bus Service Procedures
All parents/guardians are reminded that it is necessary to notify the school or  the bus driver of any changes regarding your child/children on the bus.  If your child/children WILL NOT BE returning home on the bus, parents must notify the school by:
  1. Forwarding a note or email to the school or
  2. Phone message prior to 2.00pm or
  3. Contact the bus driver before or after school.
We cannot simply rely on your child/children notifying us of changes. The school will interpret any situation by applying this simple rule, if in doubt we will try and make contact with you for further clarification.

Please note: If we receive no confirmation from parents, your child/children will be placed on their normal bus.

Your cooperation in this matter will enable us to ensure that students board the appropriate bus safely each day.

Bus Pickup Area
The Bus Zone is located along Darkan South Road in front of the old Administration Building.  This pick-up and set-down zone is for orange school buses only and has been approved by Roadwise WA as a suitable Bus Zone.  No parking of vehicles other than orange school buses is permitted in this area.

Students travelling on buses other than their own
This is currently under review and will be updated in due course. 

© Copyright 2019 Darkan Primary School