Application process overview
From the date that a family submits an in-year application for travel support the SEND Assessment Team have 15 working days to process this request. If the young person is approved for travel support the team at Passenger Transport Services have a further 15 working days to resource this award. All in all this is a 30 working day process from the date a family submits an application.
For applications submitted for the following academic year, i.e. a young person leaving primary education and joining secondary education it can generally exceed 15 working days to complete an assessment for travel support. Generally the SEND Assessment Team aim to assess all applications by July of that academic year and Passenger Transport Services will be in touch by August of the academic year to confirm your child’s transport arrangements.
General questions
Who do I contact about my child’s transport provider and pick up time?
For queries about your child’s transport provider or pick up times please contact Passenger Transport Services on 0113 3760100 or by emailing csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk
Who do I speak to if my child is uncomfortable or struggling with the vehicle provided?
If your child is uncomfortable or struggling with the vehicle provided, please contact Passenger Transport Services initially on 0113 3760100 or by emailing csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk and using the marking for the attention of transport safety.
If you have an issue with the type of travel support awarded, such as shared transport then please contact the SEND Assessment Team on 0113 5351990 or email sendtransport@leeds.gov.uk
Who do I speak to if the transport provider is not getting my child to school on time?
If the transport provider is not getting your child to school on time please contact Passenger Transport Services on 0113 3760100 or via email at csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk
Who do I speak to if I have an issues with my mileage or travel allowance payments?
If you have an issue with your mileage allowance, please email ptbs@leeds.gov.uk
If you have an issue with your personal travel allowance, please email personaltravelallowances@leeds.gov.uk
What do I do if my child is moving to a new learning setting or school?
If your child is moving to a new learning setting or school, you would need to reapply for travel support. You can request an application for travel support by contacting the SEND Assessment Team on 0113 5351990 or visit the below links to reapply:
- Application form for a child who attends school.
- Application form for a young person who attends college.
When is travel support available?
Travel support is available to all eligible Children & Young People aged 5 to 25. The eligibility criteria for travel support is outlined on the Children’s Transport Policy, which can be found here.
Do I need to reapply for transport each year if my child is remaining at the same setting?
If you are awarded travel support the award email will detail when your child would remain eligible for support until. This is generally awarded to the end of each phase of education, such as Primary and Secondary education. You will be invited to reapply at the end of each phase of education.
How do I contact the driver and passenger transport assistant?
If you need to contact the driver or passenger transport assistant please contact Passenger Transport Services on 0113 3760100 or via email at csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk
How do we know our child has arrived safely at school?
We are unable to notify every parent / carer to inform them that their child has arrived safely at school, however we will contact parent / carers if there have been any issues on the journey and their child has not made it to school.
How are routes and who my child travels with is agreed?
Routes are planned based on information shared at the point of application, we ensure routes are compatible logistically and based on the needs of the children.
Will I receive an exact pick up and drop off time?
We’re unable to offer specific collection or drop-off times or to amend routes to suit individual family circumstances.
External factors may impact on pick up and drop up times, we will ensure that your child arrives and depart school for school start and finish times.
Who do I call if my child is not attending school, and doesn’t require transport?
If your child is not attending school and doesn’t require transport please contact Passenger Transport Services on 0113 3760100 or via email at csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk
In circumstances where your child doesn’t use their inbound journey, their return journey is automatically cancelled, unless Passenger Transport Services are informed to keep this journey in place. This ensures that PTS only use resources to transport passengers we know require transport, and reduces unnecessary spend.
Who do I call if my child only requires transport for one of the journeys?
If your child only requires one of their journeys please contact Passenger Transport Services on 0113 3760100 or via email at csd.passengers@leeds.gov.uk
What can we expect when my child is picked up by transport? i.e. does the PA pick the child up at the door, come into the house or does the parent take the child to the bus
We ask that parent carers bring their child to the vehicle when transport arrives. The driver and passenger assistant maybe unable to leave the vehicle due to external factors and the needs of children on the transport.
If we are running late will the transport wait for us?
If you are running late, the transport will wait for a maximum of 5 minutes.
The wait time ensures that the transport doesn’t have a knock on effect to pick up of other children and arrival to school / home.
Can you provide travel support to my child if they are on a reduced timetable or require transitional arrangements to a new learning setting?
We are only able to provide travel support at the regular start and finish time for most pupils at any school / learning setting. Where pupils have a start or finish time that is different from this travel support cannot be provided. This would include young people who are transitioning into new learning setting.
There may be a small number of exceptional circumstances in which local authorities consider it appropriate to arrange transport at an alternative time of day, for example if a child has a medical condition which means they are not well enough to attend school for the whole day.
How do I let you know if we have moved house / changed our address?
If you move house / change address you would need to reapply for travel support and provide proof of residency at your new address (such as a tenancy agreement or a bill/bank statement with your new address).
You can request an application for travel support by contacting the SEND Assessment Team on 0113 5351990
or visit the below links to reapply:
- Application form for a child who attends school.
- Application form for a young person who attends college.
Can you provide travel support from more than one address?
We can only provide transport to and from one address this will be your child’s main home address as provided on your home to school travel application.
Do we get a dedicated driver and passenger assistant? Will this be the same each year?
While we aim for consistency with drivers and passenger assistants, we are unable to guarantee that your child will be provided with the same driver and passenger assistant each day.
How do I share my child’s college timetable with passenger transport?
College timetables will be shared with the Passenger Transport team directly from college, we do not accept individual timetables from parents and carers.
If the college does not provide confirmation of the young person’s timetable, transport cannot be arranged. Please note, that upon receipt of the confirmed timetable, PTS may take up to 15 working days to arrange transport.
What will happen to my child’s transport in extreme weather conditions?
We will try our best to deliver transport during extreme weather conditions, ensuring the health and safety of all.
Transport will check education settings opening status during extreme weather conditions and adjust the routes accordingly. Please check your school’s website / social media pages to check if they are open.
If your child’s education setting is open, there may be exceptional circumstances when transport cannot reach you. We will let you know if this is the case.
For extreme heat please refer to NHS how to cope in hot weather guidance
Compliments and complaints
Use the compliments and complaints form to:
- give a compliment - tell us about something we have done well
- make a formal complaint - if you have spoken to the service your problem relates to and are unhappy with their response then we can investigate further.