Transport

Information and advice on travel and transport including home to school travel, travel training and travel passes, and schemes that enable concessionary travel for disabled people.

Home To School and Education Transport Policies

Nottinghamshire County Council has transport policies for under 16 home to school transport and post-16 transport, which include arrangements for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. You can find these policies on the Nottinghamshire County Council website

Eligibility for Travel Assistance

Most children and young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) do not have a special transport need. Wherever possible and appropriate, children and young people with SEN should be treated in the same way as those without, i.e. in general they should walk to school/college, travel on public transport or be taken by their parents/carers.

Travel assistance may be available for a child or young person living in Nottinghamshire if they are assessed as being eligible. Special needs travel assistance eligibility is determined by officers of Nottinghamshire Transport and Travel Services, based upon medical advice and other evidence as required.

Travel assistance will be considered where a child

  • has an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) or does not have an EHCP but their sensory, physical, medical or behavioural difficulties prevent them from getting to school, even when accompanied by a parent/carer, and
  • is attending the school allocated by the County Council that meets their needs, or a nearer qualifying school, and
  • lives beyond the statutory walking distance from the qualifying school as detailed in the Under 16 and Post 16 Transport Policies

Travel assistance for children who live under the statutory walking distance from school may also be considered if a child:

  • attends a qualifying/designated school, and
  • is unable to walk/travel safely to school when accompanied by a parent/carer, and
  • is unable to use public transport when accompanied by a parent/carer
Applying for Special Needs Travel Assistance

Applications are assessed by officers of Nottinghamshire Transport and Travel Services Group. The quickest way to apply is either to:

  • apply online on Nottinghamshire County Council's website
  • ring Nottinghamshire County Council's Customer Service Team on 0300 500 80 80, where an assistant will complete an application with you over the phone.

If you need any help making your application, please contact the Nottinghamshire County Council Customer Services Team.

Travel Assistance Options

Under 16

If travel assistance is approved, this will normally take the form of one of the following:

  • Provision of a Direct Travel Assistance Payment (DTAP)
  • Parental mileage allowance
  • A bus or train pass
  • Provision of special/medical transport

Post 16

If travel assistance is approved, this will normally take the form of one of the following:

  • Provision of a Direct Travel Assistance Payment (DTAP)
  • Parental mileage allowance
  • Provision of special/medical transport

Direct Travel Assistance Payment (DTAP)

A DTAP is a personal budget that is available to families of young people who have an EHCP and are determined by as being eligible for travel assistance from the County Council. This enables them to make their own home to school travel arrangements and provides many families more flexibility with their travel arrangements. 

The amount of money a family would receive for mileage would be based on the distance between the family home and the young person’s school and would be paid at 45p a mile based on two return journeys each day.  If a young person has been assessed as requiring an escort to support them when they travel the DTAP would also include a payment for the escort. 

Parents/carers who request a DTAP will be sent a contract which details the terms and conditions of the DTAP which includes what can and cannot be purchased.  In general, the DTAP can be used to purchase travel related goods/services that are essential in getting a young person to school.

Parents/carers will be issued with a pre-payment card to purchase travel related goods and services.  The card will be loaded with the agreed amount at the beginning of each term.

For further information about a DTAP please contact Transport and Travel Services at sen.travel@nottscc.gov.uk

Parental mileage allowance

Parental Mileage is available to all families of young people with SEND who are determined by TTS as being eligible for travel assistance from the County Council.  Parents who wish to do so can apply for a mileage allowance to transport their child to and from the education provision themselves. 

The mileage rate is paid at 22.6p a mile for two return journeys between the family home and the education provision at the start and end of the standard school day.

Travel Pass

A travel pass enables a young person to travel on specific transport services for one journey to and from school each day.

Special Transport

Special transport will normally be in the form of a shared vehicle to and from a designated pick-up/drop-off point located within one mile of the home address.  Individual transport or a home pick-up and/or drop-off will only be provided in exceptional circumstances; supporting evidence from medical and other professionals may be required to support the request

Parent/carers are responsible for escorting a young person to and from the designated pick-up/drop-off point. 

Review of Travel Assistance

All arrangements for children and young people assessed as eligible for travel assistance will be kept under review as over time your child’s needs may change. For example, some children and young people may develop skills which will enable them to travel independently.

You do not need to re-apply for travel assistance if your child is under 16 unless your circumstances change e.g. you child moves to another school.

Young people attending Post-16 education at a College of Further Education or Independent Specialist Provider will need to apply and be assessed annually for travel assistance.

Independent Travel Training

The County Council operates an Independent Travel Training (ITT) programme. Find out more on Nottinghamshire County Council's website

All pupils/students will be enabled to undertake ITT unless they are assessed, by an officer of the Council and the pupil/student’s school/college, as being unlikely to benefit from such training.

Pupils/students who have successfully completed the ITT programme will be enabled to make this journey to school independently. Special transport will not be provided for these pupils/students unless their circumstances change significantly.

Travel Passes and Schemes

You can find details of organisations who operate travel passes and schemes in Nottinghamshire on the SEND Local Offer website 

Community and Voluntary Accessible Transport Schemes

There are several schemes, which offer services for people who have difficulty using, or are unable to use public transport services. These include specially adapted and fitted vehicles for users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Find out more on the Notts County Council website

Page last reviewed: 04/01/2024

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