Travel to / from school

Bus Service & Rail Ticket Information

Our School Bus Service is operated though Transport for Greater Manchester (TGFM).

It is important that families plan ahead for how children will get to and from school and check the latest travel advice. You should also apply now for any tickets or passes you may need.

Please consider whether your child can walk or cycle to school – it can be a safe and healthy way for students to make shorter trips. New cycling and walking routes have been put in place across the region as part of the #SafeStreetsSaveLives project to make it safer and easier than ever to get about on foot or by bike.

If you have to drive your child to school and/or pick them up, please switch off your engine when waiting outside to reduce air pollution and consider parking further away and walking the last part of your journey.

When travelling to school your child should check timetables in advance, allow extra time for their journeys in case their first service is full and be patient with other passengers.

Children aged 11 to 16 must have an igo card to travel using a child ticket on buses in Greater Manchester. It can also be used as proof of age for travelling by tram, and child Metrolink tickets are available for igo online at getmethere.com.

For the latest information on timetables, tickets, changes to Yellow School Bus services and further advice on cycling and walking, visit TfGM’s Back to School hub at tfgm.com/schools.

igo card image by TGFM Bee Network

If children need to use both Stagecoach and Bullock’s school services, they need to buy TfGM’s weekly school ticket costing £7.60 or a TfGM school return ticket costing £2.00. Both tickets are available from the driver.

Operator-own tickets are ONLY valid on that operator’s services.  Alternatively, if children also use buses outside of school times, they may want to buy a System One ticket which is valid on all operators’ services.  The weekly ticket costs £10.50 and the day ticket costs £2.50. You can find full details here systemonetravel.co.uk.