Catching public transport to school

Public transport can be a great option for tweens and teens travelling to school. It’s cheap, convenient, environmentally friendly and helps your child develop independence, problem solving and social skills. Around 125,000 school students use public transport to get to and from school each day in WA. But starting to catch public transport independently can be nerve wracking for children and their parents or guardians. With a bit of preparation, clear expectations and open communication, you can help make this journey as smooth as possible.

Is there an age limit to riding public transport in WA?

There is no legal limit that states when a child is old enough to use public transport independently in Western Australia. Whether or not your child is ready to ride a bus, train or ferry without adult supervision depends on many factors, including:

• Length and complexity of the journey
• Type of service/s (ie: school service or public bus)
• Age
• Confidence and ‘street smarts’
• Familiarity with public transport
• If the child will be travelling alone or with a friend
• Any special needs requirements
• If the child has a mobile phone

For example, a direct journey on a dedicated school bus with peers may be fine for a younger child, but the same child may not be ready for a more complex journey involving multiple buses/trains. Similarly, a child who regularly uses public transport with their family may be more ready to travel independently than an older child who has never used public transport. According to the School Drug Education & Road Aware Program (PDF 1.35MB), it is not recommended that children under the age of ten cross roads alone because their peripheral vision and hearing are still developing, so if there are roads involved it’s best to wait until they can cross safely. Having an open discussion with your child about their readiness to use public transport independently will make sure you’re both on the same page and allow you to work through any concerns together.

Public transport services in WA

In Western Australia, the Public Transport Authority (PTA) operates four service systems: 

• Transperth (rail, bus and ferry services in Perth metro)
• Transwa (regional rail and road coach passenger services)
• TransRegional (public bus services in regional towns) 
• School Bus Service (transport assistance to and from school for rural and education support students) 

Plan your child's trip to school

To plan a journey with Transperth, you can use the online Journey Planner, download a Transperth app or visit an InfoCentre in person. As well as the services available to everyone, around 270 School Special routes operate for students only. You can also sign up for My Alerts to receive email notifications of changes or disruptions to your child’s service. Transperth’s Get on Board website is an informative resource for kids and parents.

The Transwa journey planner can be found here. Timetables and information for TransRegional bus services, including school services, can be found here. You can find out if you’re eligible for one of the School Bus Services’ 967 routes here. Involving your child in the journey planning will help them better understand the public transport system, so it’s a great idea to look it up together.

Cost of public transport for WA students

If your child travels to or from school on a Transperth or TransRegional service, it will only cost 70c each way with a Student SmartRider. Without one, they’ll pay the concession fare. Travel on an orange School Bus Services bus is usually free. 

Are you prepared?

Once you’ve planned the journey and organised a Student SmartRider, there are a few other ways you can prepare for the first solo mission.

• If your child has a phone, help them download the Transperth app (if relevant) and add the PTA Infoline (13 62 13) and security/emergency phone number (9220 9999) to the phonebook. Make sure they also save the phone numbers of several trusted adults.
• Print a list of emergency contacts (PDF 415KB) to keep in their schoolbag. Even if your child has a mobile phone, it’s best to have a paper copy as backup. Let them know they can phone a mobile or landline for free from a public payphone.
• Your child will need a wallet or small purse to store their Student SmartRider or money. They may also like to stash an emergency fare in their schoolbag.
• Play the Transperth virtual journey game.
• Find out if any peers will be making the same journey and, if possible, organise for them to travel together.

Rules for using our public transport system

Rules and etiquette help keep our public transport system safe and pleasant for everyone. Before they ride, speak to your child about how you expect them to behave, and model these behaviours when you travel together. Each service will have its own specific rules, but some general rules and expectations for using public transport include:

• Respect the driver and other employees. Don’t distract or harass them, or keep them from performing their jobs.
• Respect other passengers. This includes standing for adults, staying clear of doorways, using headphones with audio devices, and keeping the noise down if travelling with friends.
• Respect the property. You shouldn’t eat or drink on public transport, put your feet on the seats, vandalise, litter, or make any mess.
• Respect yourself. Don’t take risks with safety or act in a way you don’t feel proud about.

Safety for children on public transport

There are a range of security measures in place on vehicles and at stations. Depending on the service your child will use, they may include:

• Security cameras which monitor train, bus and ferry stations, car parks and vehicles. The PTA’s network of CCTV cameras is monitored 24/7.
• Transit officers, drivers and other staff can help if your child needs assistance or feels threatened.
• Emergency buttons are located on trains and at train stations, which connect to the train driver or the Central Monitoring Room. Make sure your child is familiar with the location of these buttons on services they use.
• Your child can phone 9220 9999 if they feel unsafe, unwell or spot anything dangerous like a fight or a fire. They can also call 000 in an emergency.
• If your child is travelling after 7pm, the bus can stop at any safe point along the route. Your child just needs to tell the driver when they get on the bus.

Remind your child to be aware of their surroundings so they can try to avoid potentially dangerous situations before they occur. If they feel uncomfortable, they should move closer to staff, or sit in well-lit areas in view of security cameras.

Another way to stay safe on public transport is to avoid taking risks around vehicles and stations. This includes waiting for vehicles to stop completely before getting on or off, standing back from moving vehicles and not crossing in front of buses, or jumping out from behind vehicles. At a train station, your child should stand back from the yellow line and should never walk on the tracks, except at an open pedestrian crossing. It’s also important to make sure your child brushes up on pedestrian safety before they start travelling alone.

What about accessibility?

Many public transport services have accessible features such as ramps, priority seats, audio loops and tactile ground surface indicators. A communication card can be used to indicate where your child needs to alight and what assistance they require. To find out more about disability assistance on your child’s route, you can contact the PTA on 13 62 13, look online or visit an InfoCentre.

If your child misses the bus or services are cancelled

It’s possible that your child may encounter unexpected circumstances on their journey, such as missing a bus, losing their phone or having a service cancelled. While these circumstances may be unforeseen, you can help your child prepare by talking through potential scenarios before they occur. How they should react will depend on a number of factors, so discuss a few ways they could handle each situation.

Ready to go?

Now that your child knows how to get around on public transport and you’ve found the best route, it’s time to give it a go. You may want to take the journey together a few times before letting them travel independently, although this won’t usually be possible if they are using a student-only service. Even if you can’t make the trip to and from school together, it’s a good idea to use public transport together for other journeys so you can model safe practices and point out safety features.

The first few times your child travels alone, you may want to provide extra support like meeting them at the bus stop, making yourself available for phone calls, or having them message to confirm their arrival. As their confidence grows and you become more comfortable, you can gradually reduce this support and allow them more flexibility with when and where they travel. If your child does not settle into the routine, you may decide to take a break and try again when you both feel ready.

How does your child feel about independent travel?

It’s important to regularly check in with your child, to find out how they are feeling about travelling independently and if they have any concerns or questions. If your child has to problem solve any unexpected circumstances, have a discussion with them afterwards about what caused the situation, how they responded and any alternative actions they could have taken. Showing an interest in their journey will encourage your child to come to you with any travel concerns or questions they have in the future.