Apply soon for a place on yellow school bus

TFGM green yellow school bus side

PARENTS are urged to apply for Yellow School Bus places as seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Applications for the service, which exceeded 6,000 last year, must be done online between June 1 and 30 with parents able to choose their preferred option from the 95 dedicated yellow bus routes, which are served by 93 buses and cater for 46 schools across the region.

The service picks up and drops off children close to home in a safe place to wait and board with children using the same safety belt-fitted seat every day.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) advised that pupils should ensure that they either already have an igo card or have applied for one to use the service as a Yellow School Bus pass is not valid without.

TfGM went on to say the portal for applications may open again in mid-July, but only for services that still have available spaces.

Howard Hartley, TfGM Head of Bus, said: "Yellow School Buses are a great way to travel, providing children and their parents with a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly alternative to the school run.

"However, places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and failure to either apply for a new place or renew an existing place before the end of June could see children miss out on a place.

"Therefore it is important that parents apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment."

The hybrid-electric buses, which cost £210,000 each, were part-funded by the government's Green Bus Fund and reduce emissions by up to 35 per cent compared to diesel buses.

Since their introduction in 2003, Greater Manchester's yellow school buses have reduced millions of car journeys and proved successful in tackling on-bus anti-social behaviour with interior and exterior CCTV video recorders.

The buses can seat 57-67 students and have a regular driver who is specially trained in customer care and disability awareness.

Applications for the service, which exceeded 6,000 last year, must be done online between 1 and 30 June. Applicants without internet access can call 0161 244 1000 for more information.