Mainstream School Transport FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions and answers about West Lothian's mainstream school transport service.
West Lothian Council will provide free home to school transport for pupils if they attend their catchment school and live beyond the qualifying walking distances as follows:
- Primary school pupils: 1.5 miles or more from their catchment school
- Secondary school pupils: 2 miles or more from their catchment school
Distance is measured using the shortest safe walking route from your home to the school gate. To be classed as safe, the route must be suitably surfaced, adequately lit, and appropriate for a child to walk when accompanied by an adult.
Pupils who live within these distances are not entitled to free transport. However, transport may still be considered if:
- No safe walking route is available, or
- If a pupil has significant additional support needs that affect their ability to travel safely, following assessment by the Transport Assistance Group (TAG) which is a team made up of Education and Transport Officers.
Where a parent or carer has chosen to place their child in a school outside their catchment area (a placing request), free home to school transport is not normally provided. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the parent or Guardians to arrange and fund their child's travel to and from school.
Parents and Guardians must apply for school transport and each application is assessed against the Council's criteria.
Distance to school is measured by West Lothian Council using the shortest walking route from the pupil's permanent home address (Main Address registered with the school) to the school gate.
The walking route must be considered acceptable for a child accompanied by a responsible adult. To be classed as acceptable, the route must:
- Be paved or a suitable shared roadway of adequate width
- Have an all‑weather surface
- Be adequately lit
All walking routes are assessed by the Council, and distance is measured consistently for all applications. Where no suitable walking route exists, transport will be considered even where the distance is below the qualifying distance.
Yes, attending a school outwith your catchment area can affect your eligibility for free school transport.
If you have requested a placing at a school outside your catchment area, free home to school transport will not normally be provided. In these cases, it is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to make suitable travel arrangements for their child, even if the distance to the chosen school would otherwise meet transport distance criteria.
However, if West Lothian Council has allocated a place at a non‑catchment school because a place was not available at the catchment school, and the home to school transport distance criteria are met, free school transport will be provided.
Transport entitlement is always assessed in line with the Council's home to school transport policy and relates to the circumstances of the school placement.
Applications for home to school transport are assessed on a weekly basis once they are received by West Lothian Council.
However during busy periods, particularly ahead of the new school session in August, applications may take several weeks to process due to the high volume received. Each application is assessed individually against the Council's home to school transport policy including catchment school attendance and distance eligibility criteria.
Parents and Guardians will be notified of the outcome once a decision has been made. Until transport is confirmed, it remains the responsibility of the parent or carer to ensure their child can travel safely to and from school.
If your application for home to school transport is refused, you will be notified of the decision and the reason why. This usually means your child does not meet the Council's eligibility criteria, for example due to distance, catchment school status, or the availability of a suitable walking route.
Where free school transport is not provided, it remains the responsibility of the parent or carer to ensure their child can travel safely to and from school.
If you believe that relevant information was not taken into account, or if your circumstances change (such as a change of address or school placement), you may make a complaint and request that the decision be reviewed, providing any additional supporting information.
Details on how to do this will be included in your decision notification.
Yes. If you disagree with a decision about your child's eligibility for free home to school transport, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed through West Lothian Council's complaints process. This is the usual way to appeal a school transport decision.
Details of how to make a complaint, including where to submit it and what information to include, will be provided in your decision letter or email. When making a complaint, you should clearly explain why you believe the decision is incorrect and include any additional or new information that you feel was not considered during the original assessment.
Each complaint is considered on an individual basis and reviewed in line with the Council's home to school transport policy. You will be notified of the outcome once the process has been completed.
While a complaint or review is being considered, it remains the responsibility of the parent or carer to ensure their child can travel safely to and from school.
Applications must be completed through the council's online application process. Transport is not automatically allocated.
If your child already receives school transport and there has been no change (e.g., address or school), you do not need to reapply for the next school session.
You must notify the council and complete a new application so eligibility can be reassessed. Transport arrangements may change based on your new address or school placement.
Applications for home to school transport are assessed on a weekly basis once they are received by West Lothian Council.
However during busy periods, particularly ahead of the new school session in August, applications may take several weeks to process due to the high volume received. Each application is assessed individually against the Council's home to school transport policy including catchment school attendance and distance eligibility criteria.
For the new term commencing August 2026, parents who have applied for transport for new P1 or S1 pupils will hear no later than
31st July 2026.
Parents and Guardians will be notified of the outcome once a decision has been made. Until transport is confirmed, it remains the responsibility of the parent or carer to ensure their child can travel safely to and from school.
If your child is eligible for school transport, their bus pass will be delivered directly to their school.
Once you have received confirmation of transport arrangements, a request is sent to the school to issue a temporary pass so your child can travel in the meantime. This ensures your child can use the service straight away while the permanent pass is being prepared.
Your child will usually be able to collect their permanent transport pass from the school office within a few days of confirmation.
If you or your child have any issues before the pass is issued, the school office will be able to help.
There are various ways you can go about getting a replacement. We would recommend contacting your child's school office who can issue a temporary pass and who will then order a replacement transport pass on your behalf. This way limits the disruption to your child's transport to and from School, alternatively you can submit a enquiry to publictransport@westlothian.gov.uk
To buy a fare‑paying ticket, the route must be a Fare Paying route. On our website fare paying routes can be identified where 'FP' directly follows the route number
If the route is marked as fare paying, tickets can be purchased online via iPay through the School's Parent Portal, alternatively you can speak to the School Office for further information.
If a route name does not include 'FP' it is not a fare‑paying route and a ticket cannot be purchased for travel.
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All Mainstream transport timetables are displayed on our website to view the timetables (Link is below), select the appropriate school and the route they have been assigned. The assigned route can be found in the confirmation email you were sent advising you that transport has been awarded or on the right hand side of the Transport Pass itself.
Each time table has a clear bus stop description and pick up time for the home to school journey. We do not provide a timetable for the return journey.
Routes are planned to operate efficiently and safely while meeting the needs of eligible pupils. Individual routes cannot be altered on request.
Generally routes and times are planned well in advance and will only change during the school year due to temporary roadworks or diversions.
Your child's transport arrangements may have changed due to adjustments in routes, operators, pupil numbers, or as part of regular contract reviews. While every effort is made to minimise disruption, some changes are unfortunately unavoidable to ensure transport remains safe, suitable, and delivered as efficiently as possible.
Pupils are expected to behave responsibly and safely at all times while using school transport. The standards of behaviour expected on school transport are the same as those expected within the school environment.
School transport is regarded as an extension of the school classroom, and pupils must follow the school's behaviour policies and any instructions given by drivers or other Transport Staff.
This includes:
- Showing respect to drivers and other pupils
- Remaining seated and wearing the provided seatbelt
- Refraining from bullying, abusive language or unsafe behaviour
- Smoking or vaping on the vehicle is also prohibited
- Taking care of the vehicle and equipment
Failure to meet these expectations may result in action being taken in line with the Council's and the school's behaviour management procedures. In serious or persistent cases, access to school transport may be withdrawn.
Incidents of inappropriate behaviour will be investigated by your child's school. Sanctions may include warnings or, in serious cases, withdrawal of transport completely.
