Frequently Asked Questions

Learners may qualify for free school transport if they meet ALL of the following criteria:

•    Aged between 5 and 19 years old:
•    Reside in Carmarthenshire
•    Attends nearest/catchment school
•    Over 2 miles away from a primary school, or
•    Over 3 miles away from a secondary school.

Free transport may also be available in certain situations, such as:

•    Road safety concerns
•    Medical conditions
•    Learning difficulties or disabilities
•    Changing homes during GCSE years
•    Religious beliefs

If you think the learner qualifies, apply online.

Apply online

After sending the application, we will review based on the eligibility criteria. If the learner qualifies, we will arrange the necessary transport or offer Personal Travel Budget.

Parents and guardians should apply for transport when their child is transferring from year 6 in primary to secondary school, which is in September. To ensure that transportation is arranged by this time, please submit your application between:

1st November and 1st June.

If you submit your application after March, we cannot guarantee that it will be processed in time for transition days.

You need to apply to the Council where you live, for example:

If the learner goes to school in Carmarthenshire and you live in Pembrokeshire, you must apply to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Before the Start of Term:

We aim to send out school bus passes to your home address by the end of August, so they arrive in time for the start of the new term in September.

Delayed or Missing Passes:

If you:

• Haven't received the bus pass by the end of August and you applied on time, please complete our contact form. 
• Applied after the start of term, your child's pass will be issued within 15 days of your application.

Interim Arrangements and Peak Times

Please note that:

• Applications made during busy periods may be delayed.
• As a parent/carer, you are responsible for making temporary travel arrangements until the bus pass arrives.

Once you receive the bus pass, make sure to keep it in a safe place.

In some cases, the Council may provide learners with an alternative solution when they are entitled to free school transport. This option is known as a Personal Travel Budget. This is a grant to assist with travel costs for home to school or college transport for learners where they are entitled to free transport. This gives your family more choices and control over how you travel to and from school/college. You can spend this payment as needed to ensure the journey to school or college is made in the best possible way that meets your needs as a family. 

You can use the Personal Travel Budget in different ways, making sure your journey is safe, reliable and convenient. Here are some examples of how you can spend it:

• Help pay for your own car's running costs
• Cover public transport or taxi fares
• Pay family or friends to make the journey to school or college, including car sharing
• Cycling
• Pay for anything else that works for your family.

How it works: 

The Personal Travel Budget is available only for families who qualify for free transport based on Carmarthenshire’s school transport policy. It is also available for students attending Coleg Sir Gar who are entitled to transport under their transport policy.

If your travel pass is Lost or Damaged, you should replace it straight away.

Order a replacement bus Pass online for a fee of £6

ORDER NEW BUS PASS

If the learner moves to a new address or attends a different school and continues to meet our eligibility criteria, they will need to re-apply for school transport as soon as possible.

APPLY ONLINE

To avoid delays in processing a new application, if the learner currently has a bus pass please send it back to:

Learner Travel

Carmarthenshire County Council

Block 1 

Parc Myrddin

Carmarthen 

SA31 1HQ 

If a Learner no longer requires transport, please send the travel pass back to:

Learner Travel
Carmarthenshire County Council
Block 1
Parc Myrddin
Carmarthen
SA31 1HQ

Please remember to return the pass when it is no longer needed as it could free up a seat for another learner.

We recommend obtaining proof of postage for your records.

You can choose any school for the learner, as long as there are available spaces.

If the learner is accepted into a school that is not their:

• Catchment School
• Nearest Suitable School

They will NOT be eligible for free school transport.

This means you will be responsible for:

• Arranging your child's transport to and from school
• Paying the costs of transport

Before making a decision, you can check eligibility for free transport by clicking the link below.

School Catchment Area

Learners do not need to apply for new bus pass each year if:

• Eligible for a free bus pass
• Still goes to the same school
• Lives at the same home address

If the learner needs a spare seat, a reapplication will be required.

If your family has more than one home and at least one of those homes is in Carmarthenshire, you might be eligible for a travel pass for school.

• Learners must attend the school that is within catchment or nearest suitable school to their main home or the school that s agreed to be the most suitable for the learner.
• To check if the learner qualifies for a bus pass, complete the contact form below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the learner has two homes in different local authorities, each authority will be responsible for their travel arrangements when they are living in that area.

E- mail - learnertravel@carmarthenshire.gov.uk 

The Local Authority cannot currently offer "paying places" on school transport. This is because of rules called the "Public Service vehicle Accessibility Regulations" that Affect how these services operate.