At School 5-18

Travelling to School

The Victorian government provides a range of transport options aimed at assisting your child attend school. These include free school bus routes in regional Victoria; concession cards for students to use public transport in order to get to school (in effect giving your child access to discounted fares to travel on existing public transport options like trams, trains and buses); as well healthy options like walking or cycling to school.

The option you choose will be determined by where you live, the amount of public transport available, the distance your child travels to school, how 'safe' the route between your house and your child's school is, and what you can afford to spend getting your child to school.

What we outline below are just some of the options available. We suggest that you speak to your child's school in the first instance as they will be able to advise you on the full options available for that particular school.

The basic criteria for the following options are that your child attends the closest government school or closest denomination school to your house. This applies whether you live in regional Victoria or in metropolitan Melbourne.

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Travelling to school on public transport

Your child can travel on all available public transport (metropolitan trains, trams and buses or regional trains and buses) at a considerably discounted fare when they hold a Victorian Public Transport Student Concession Card. This Card also allows primary and secondary students to purchase half-yearly or yearly Metropolitan Student Passes or Regional Student Transit Passes.

Student identity cards issued to your child by their school does not entitle them to travel on public transport at a discounted rate.

If you reside more than 4.8km from the nearest school you may be eligible for a conveyance allowance. Further information about this allowance and application forms are available from your child's school.

  • For more information, and to obtain an application form for the Victorian Public Transport Student Concession Card, see Metlink's Travelling with Student Concessions web page.

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Travelling to school by the free school bus network

An extensive school bus network supplies free bus transport to students generally living in regional Victoria, but these bus networks also operate in some outer metropolitan Melbourne suburbs.

The school bus network is administered by the Department of Transport and carries over 73,000 students each school day on approximately 1,600 school bus routes.

You should speak to your child's school to find out if their school offers this service to their students.

For more information, see the Department of Transport's School buses website.

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Travelling to school by walking or cycling

Walking or cycling to school is a great way to get a healthy start to the day. It can also be a good opportunity to teach your child about traffic safety. Many schools have specially built facilities for their student's bicycles, and some offer special programs that enhances the safety aspects of walking or cycling to school.

Speak to your child's school about any activities and facilities they offer their students.

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Further assistance

For some students who travel to school by private car, ferry or motor bike, a range of allowances based on the distance travelled may be available. Contact your child's school to find out if you are eligible. 

Students attending a specialist school may be eligible for travel assistance. Contact your child's school to find out if you are eligible for this assistance.

  • To search for the contact details of your child's school, see: Schools Online
  • For more information about the school bus network, see the Department of Transport's School buses website.
  • For more information on the Victorian Public Transport Concession Card - and to obtain an application form - see: Metlink's Travelling with Student Concessions web page.
  • You can also e-mail Financial Services Division's Student Transport Unit for assistance and advice.