TfGM publishes five point checklist to help parents plan ‘back to school’ travel

School Bus

TfGM publishes five point checklist to help parents plan ‘back to school’ travel

Your school travel checklist: 

• Think about how your child is going to get to school. There are several travel options, including Yellow School Buses, local buses, Metrolink, rail, walking and cycling
• If using public transport, check the MyTfGM travel page to see if there is a local bus, dedicated school bus service, or Metrolink stop close to your home and school https://my.tfgm.com/#/planner/
• If you want your child to use a Yellow School Bus, make sure that you have applied for a Yellow School Bus pass (applications can take up to 10 days to complete and places are limited) http://www.tfgm.com/buses/yellowschoolbus/Pages/Application-forms.aspx 
• Double check the bus timetables online: http://www.tfgm.com/buses/Pages/school_services.aspx You can also plan journeys using the new MyTfGM app: https://my.tfgm.com/#/planner/
• Make sure your child has a valid igo pass to benefit from lower fares on all buses and on Metrolink (be aware that applications can take up to 10 days to complete). For information on igo, visit http://igo.tfgm.com/

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is reminding parents to plan their children’s term-travel travel before they return to the classroom in September. 

Using public transport is a simple and cheap option, which is better for the environment than travelling by car. Walking and cycling are also healthy alternatives to consider.

TfGM funds over 700 dedicated school bus journeys for more than 125 schools across Greater Manchester, carrying over 20,000 students each day.

Around 50 buses within this fleet are eco-friendly Yellow School Buses, and students using this facility need to apply for a Yellow Bus Pass.

The routes and times of some school bus services change at the beginning of September each year, and so it’s important to check the up-to-date timetables before the start of term-time. Details of dedicated school bus journeys can be found online.

Some students may use the local bus network, rather than a dedicated school service, and you can check details of local bus services by using TfGM’s online journey planner.

Alternatively, it may be more suitable for your child to use Metrolink to travel to and from school. Again, journey routes and times for Metrolink can be found online.

The TfGM Customer Support team is available on 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays).