Bus Bans & ABCs
Students that are provided with school transport by Leicestershire County Council are expected to behave responsibly at all times when waiting for, boarding, travelling on and getting off a school bus. In the event of a student behaving in an unacceptable manner a bus ban and/or Acceptable Behaviour Contract will be issued to ensure the safety of other passengers onboard and to act as a deterrent from further antisocial behaviour.
Bus Bans
Bus bans are issued to prevent offending students from using the school bus for a specified length of time.
- The length of the bus ban issued will be subject to the severity of the incident/incidents and whether the student is a first time or persistant offender. Bus bans can last for any period of time from a few days to a complete ban for the remainder of a student’s time in education in extreme cases.
- In the event of a bus ban it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide an alternative means of transport to and from school/college. For students in the 16 and under age group it is a legal requirement for the student to continue to attend school and a bus ban is not a valid reason for non-attendance.
- It is up to the discretion of members of the Safer Travel team to decide how long a bus ban will last. Decisions are made in collaboration with the school and each case is investigated fully to ensure that an appropriate length of ban is issued.
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs)
An ABC is a written code of conduct that must be adhered to by the recipient. By signing an ABC the individual understands and agrees that transport provision will be withdrawn if the code is broken. An ABC must also be signed by a parent/guardian of the student.
Reasons for issuing an ABC:
- ABCs are issued to persistant offenders or those that have been involved in a serious incident.
- After a student has finished their bus ban an ABC may be issued to ensure they behave in an acceptable manner for the rest of their time onboard an LCC provided school bus.
- ABCs are most often issued to students that have incurred more than one bus ban in their school career.
- ABCs offer an excellent incentive for students to take positive steps towards improving upon their behaviour onboard the school bus and possibly in school too.
- If a student or parent/guardian declines the opportunity to sign an ABC the student will receive an immediate bus ban.
Page Last Updated: 5 February 2010
