Transport policy statement for students aged 16 to 19
Background
The information in this statement sets out the Rochdale 16-19
Transport Partnership policy on post-16 transport for the academic
year 2011/2012. The information in this statement is relevant only
for full time students who live within the Rochdale Borough Council
area and who were under 19 at the start of the academic year
beginning September 2011. This means that financial support will
continue to be made available to students who reach 19 whilst
continuing on a full time course.
We aim to show how transport is provided, what is provided, the
amount of financial support available and the eligibility criteria.
We also give advice on where and how to apply for any support, and
this may involve making references to relevant websites.
The funding to provide the support included in this statement is
from Rochdale Council, the Young People's Learning Agency,
Transport for Greater Manchester, Connexions and local schools and
colleges with post-16 provision. Collectively, these organisations
comprise the Rochdale Post-16 Transport Partnership.
Learner Support Funds
The Learner Support Fund is to help students attending either
school or college who are, or whose families are on a low income or
in particular financial difficulty. If you get help from the Fund
you can use the money for transport or any other costs connected
with attendance at your course.
If you wish to apply for Learner Support Funds contact either
Student Services Section at the College that you are attending or
the Director of Sixth Form Studies at your school for further
details.
Financial support provided by the Transport Partnership
Rochdale Local Authority (LA)
Staying on at school or college is an investment in your future
and you can get some financial help with your transport costs. The
local authority will provide help with travelling expenses if you
live more than three miles from school or college and your parents
receive one of the following benefits:
- Income support
- Job seeker’s allowance (Income Based)
- Working tax credit and their income is under £16,190 per year
(2011/2012)
The amount of travelling expenses incurred is refunded at the
end of the academic year only ie August 2012. Refunds are based on
40p per single journey even if the actual cost is more. You can
make an application for a refund of travelling expenses from
September 2011.
Please note that refunds are made by BACS at the end of the
academic year only ie August 2012, so it is necessary for you to
have a bank or building society account. Application forms are
available via email only to 16-19.Transport@rochdale.gov.uk
and must be returned, fully completed by 31 March
2012.
Students attending AS level and A2 level courses at schools in
the Rochdale Council area, Rochdale Sixth Form College or
Hopwood Hall College
Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale Sixth Form College and schools in
the Rochdale Council area are collaborating with the provision of
certain minority subjects. This means that although you will be
registered at a specific school or Hopwood Hall College that on
certain days your subject will be delivered in another institution.
On occasions when you are required to travel between schools or
college you will be transported to the school or college and
returned free of charge.
Students attending Colleges and Schools beyond the Greater
Manchester County area
There are no special arrangements for students attending schools
or colleges outside of the Greater Manchester County boundary.
Generally speaking students are not eligible for any lower fares on
bus services that cross the county boundary. However, if your
parent(s) receive any of the benefits mentioned in the paragraph
above, you can get a refund from the local authority of 40p for
each single journey undertaken, provided that the educational
establishment you attend is more than three miles from your home
address. You are also advised to ask at the school or college that
you attend about the provision of subsidised school or college
buses.
Students with disabilities or learning difficulties
The local authority provides transport free of charge to school
or college for students with disabilities and/or learning
difficulties in those cases where it is considered essential. This
provision is between home and the nearest school/college which can
address the particular needs of the young person. If a young person
chooses to attend a school/college with an equally suitable course
which is further away from home, then it is understood they will be
required to make their own travel arrangements to and from that
school/college.
If transport is provided this may involve the provision of
private hire vehicles or specialist vehicles. Any application for
concessionary transport of the kind will be considered by the SEN
& Children with Disabilities Service to establish that the
provision of such transport is necessary to enable you to travel
between home and college.
Students in Year 11 at Redwood Secondary School or attending the
Post-16 provision at Redwood Secondary School may be provided with
independent travel training that will reduce the need to rely on
private hire vehicles. This training is related to home to school
travel and other educational provision including post-19 placement.
The training is provided during the school day with the consent of
parent(s). Over time such training will be extended to include
young people at other schools and sixth form colleges.
If you have a disability and/or learning difficulty and attend a
specialist residential college the local authority will refund the
full cost of off-peak public transport between home and college at
the beginning and end of each term and each half term holiday. In
some cases, the local authority provides transport between home and
the specialist residential college.
Transport for Greater Manchester (
TfGM
)
Scholar’s Permit
If you are aged 16-19 and in full time further education at
school or college situated in the Greater Manchester area you may
be able to get a
TfGM
Scholar’s Permit.
This permit allows you to travel to and from school/college at the
standard concessionary fare (currently half the adult fare) inside
Greater Manchester on buses and for half fare on trains and the
Metrolink tram.
The specified journey between your home and school or college
will be written on the permit. The permit can only be used on
weekdays before 9pm for the journey that is specified on it. You
can use your Scholar’s Permit to travel at other times, or between
other places for curriculum related studies, course related work
experience, and for medical appointments during school or college
hours by getting a Variance Voucher from your school or college.
You must present the voucher with your permit when you pay the
fare. If you do not have a Variance Voucher, stamped by your school
or college, you will have to pay the full fare.
The standard concessionary fare for each single journey is
currently half the adult fare on buses. This means that if you
catch more than one bus to school or college you will pay half the
adult fare on each bus. On trains and the Metrolink you will pay
approximately half the adult fare. When you buy your Metrolink
ticket from the ticket machine on the station, press the half fare
button, not the concession button.
Remember, if you don’t have your permit with you when you travel
to school or college you will have to pay the full adult fare.
Application forms for Scholar’s Permits are available from
schools, colleges and
TfGM
travel shops. The
permit costs £5. If you lose it you will have to pay £5 for a
replacement.
System One Bus Saver Travel Cards (Young People and
Students)
If you make frequent use of bus services for journeys additional
to school or college travel you should consider The System One Bus
Saver Travel Cards. Information is available at the System One
website.
You can get cheap fares on buses anywhere in Greater Manchester
if you are aged 16-21 by purchasing a System One Bus Saver Travel
Card for young people or students which are available for either 7
or 28 days or for a full year. A 7 day pass costs £14.25 and a 28
day pass costs £51.00. The annual pass costs £530.00. Without such
a pass you will pay the full adult fare on any additional bus
journey.
You can also use the System One Bus Saver Travel Cards up to the
age of 26 if you are attending a full time course at college or
university.
In addition users must have a System One 'Student' Photocard for
which a passport size photograph is required. You can obtain these
at any
TfGM
Travelshop. Membership is free.
You can buy the System One Bus Saver Travel Cards from
TfGM
Travelshops on bus stations and from Post Offices or ask at your
college if tickets are available there.
You cannot use the System One Bus Saver Travel Cards to pay for
journeys on the Metrolink tram or trains.
Disabled persons
If you are disabled, whatever your age, you may be able to get
free or discounted travel on buses, trains and the Metrolink or
travel vouchers which provide discounted taxi travel. For more
information please telephone 0161 242 6116 and ask for a
leaflet.
Complaints and appeals process
If you wish to complain about or appeal against any aspect of
this policy or any decision made about an application for support
under the policy, you should in the first instance contact the
Service Director, Learners & Young People Service, Rochdale
Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16
1YD. If you are unhappy with the response you receive you will be
advised of your further right of appeal along with the reply to
your initial complaint or appeal.
Maps
You can get details of bus, train and Metrolink
routes from the Transport for Greater Manchester website.
If you would like printed copies of a map to be sent to you can
telephone 0161 242 6040.
Bus Services available to post-16 schools and colleges in the
Rochdale area
You can access the information via the
TfGM
website and select
Buses – School Services / Rochdale Timetables.
The times of any services published are subject to alteration at
short notice in accordance with the requirements of the school or
college.
Public Transport Information
TfGM
provide a whole range of public transport information, in fact all
the information that you will ever need to use Greater Manchester’s
public transport network.
The most immediate response is by telephone. The telephone
enquiry unit is provided jointly with the transport operators of
Greater Manchester and is staffed by local public transport experts
who have access to the most up to-date information.
Call them on 0161 228 7811 from 8am - 8pm seven days a week.
If you need a written Timetable this is available from
Travelshops or request a timetable by telephoning 0161 242 6040
(you need to specify the timetable or bus route that you require).
You can also visit the
TfGM
website. On the
website you will find background information about
TfGM
itself and a Journey
Planner which will help you plan your journeys and provide you with
a copy of the timetables you need which you can personalise before
you print them.
For even more detailed public transport route information, look
out for the Transport for Greater
Manchester range of Maps. The range consists of a network
map in 12 parts covering the whole of the Greater Manchester County
area in detail. There is a city centre map showing the location of
all bus stops and which services use them, and also a high
frequency map detailing those routes across the county that have
the most regular service. Pick up your free maps from
TfGM
Travelshops or by
calling 0161 242 6040.
The Rochdale Travelshop is located in Rochdale Bus Station and
is open as follows:
- Monday to Friday: 7am to 5.30pm.
- Saturday: 8am to 5:30pm
- Sunday: Closed
All prices and values of financial support shown were correct
when this statement was published on 31 May 2010. Copies of this
statement can be found in local libraries and information
centres.
Travel Safe
Travelling on public transport is a safe activity on most
occasions, however the Greater Manchester Police offer this advice
to avoid putting yourself at risk from crime:
- Use timetables to plan your journey in advance to try to
minimise the amount of time you spend waiting at bus stops and
stations, especially at night.
- Avoid poorly lit areas such as footpaths, subways and
alleyways.
- Try to appear confident that you know your surroundings at all
times.
- If you are travelling alone let someone know how and where you
are travelling and contact them to let them know you have arrived
safely.
- Choose a seat in busy areas of the train, tram or bus. If there
are not many passengers, sit close to the driver or train guard.
Don’t be too proud to change seats if you feel uncomfortable.
- Keep your valuables out of sight, especially jewellery. Keep
your bags close at hand.
- Be aware of the people around you, where they are sitting or
standing and what they are doing.
- In the unlikely event that you are threatened or attacked,
don’t fight back, make as much noise as possible and run away, your
possessions can be replaced, your health and well being is much
more important. Report the incident to the police as quickly as
possible.
- If you are threatened on board a bus, tell the driver; on board
trains tell the guard or use the emergency handle. On Metrolink
trams use the emergency intercom.
- If you are using a private hire taxi, only use reputable
companies. Before getting in the taxi ask the driver to tell you
the name of the company and check the licence plate on the car.
Always sit in the back seat. If you have any doubt, don’t get in.
Never flag down a private hire car on the street. All journeys with
reputable private hire companies are booked in advance only.