Please can you ensure that you have access to the Under 22 bus pass for after the February break - 24th February.

The Highland Council Transport Team are undertaking a pilot project that encourages young people who are eligible for the provision of school transport and have a public bus route available to them, use the under 22 bus pass to access school transport rather than the Highland Council Bus Pass.  This means that although that pupils would need to apply to the council for school transport, pupils would not be issued with a Council pass, they would use their U22 bus pass instead.

There are many benefits of utilising the Under 22 Bus Pass including free transport anywhere in Scotland.  By using this pass for school transport there are cost savings to the council as recompense will come direct from Scottish Government.   As well as cost saving, the long-term aim of the initiative is to encourage the younger generations to use public transport with a view to embed that behaviour from a young age, to tackle the climate emergency and to improve air quality in towns and cities by reducing the number of car journeys. The aim of this initiative is that those pupils who are assessed as 'eligible' for school transport and who have access to a bus route registered for public use will no longer receive a Highland Council bus pass but will use their Under 22 instead. 

*This only applies to public bus routes, buses exclusively for school transport are not included*.  

A letter explaining this has been posted to our Google Classrooms, Facebook and our School App for parents.