Student conduct when travelling
When travelling between home and school, students must adhere to various regulations regarding passenger behaviour and the codes of conduct for travel by bus and or rail.
To ensure their safety and the comfort of other passengers students will:
- Behave safely at all times
- Respect the needs and comfort of other passengers
- Behave appropriately at all times (e.g. no use of offensive language, fighting, spitting, placing feet on seats or throwing things in or from the bus/train/ferry)
- Protect all property and report any vandalism
- Show their travel pass or ticket when requested
- Only use the travel pass for its intended purpose
- Maintain possession of the travel pass at all times
- Follow instructions about safety
- Adhere to the law that bans smoking
- Not eat and drink in prohibited areas
- Keep arms, legs and other parts of their bodies inside the bus/train/ferry
- Only attract the attention of the driver in case of emergency.
Code of conduct for school students on buses
It is every student's responsibility to behave in a manner that ensures the safety and comfort of passengers and drivers. This includes:
Behaving appropriately
- Respect the needs and comfort of other passengers, such as no use of offensive or racist language, fighting, spitting, placing feet on seats, throwing things in or from the bus, eating or drinking - except water - unless the bus operator gives written permission
- Give up seats to all adults and disabled passengers
- Adhere to the law that bans smoking on buses
- Obey reasonable directions from the driver, such as where to sit or to remain in the bus
- Keep arms, legs and heads inside the bus
- Refrain from attracting the attention of the driver except in the case of emergency.
Respecting property
- Protect bus property
- Ensure that buses are not vandalised
- Report any vandalism, such as graffiti and window etching.
Holding passes
- Show travel passes or tickets to the driver on boarding and when requested
- Use the travel pass only for its intended purpose
- Swipe or dip passes in ticket readers if available when boarding
- Keep your pass for your own use - you should not lend your pass to other students or borrow one from them.
Disobeying these rules may lead to the withdrawal of school bus travel passes and/or prosecution.
In the case of students travelling under the School Student Transport Scheme, this code of conduct is also printed on the application form. You are reminded that when signing the application form the parent/guardian/carer explicitly declares that they support the code and that it has been explained to their child.
If students misbehave on buses, the following consequences may result:
Unacceptable behaviour such as using offensive or racist language, disobeying reasonable directions from the driver, smoking, spitting, damaging property, eating on the bus, distracting the driver with persistent noise and failing to show the travel pass may lead to:
- Loss of subsidised school travel privileges for up to two school weeks for a second offence, and up to 10 school weeks for subsequent offences.
- Permanent suspension of school travel privileges or banning from travelling on buses may apply for repeated offences.
Dangerous behaviour such as seriously bullying or harrassing other passengers, fighting, letting any part of your body protrude from the bus, throwing objects inside or outside the bus, using matches and lighters, carrying dangerous items and group misbehaviour may lead to:
- Loss of subsidised school travel privileges for up to four school weeks for a first offence and up to 10 school weeks for subsequent offences - or if group misbehaviour is involved, permanent loss of school travel privileges.
- Permanent suspension of school travel privileges or banning from travelling on buses may apply for repeated offences.
Highly dangerous behaviour such as interfering with safety equipment, pushing students out of the doors or windows, assaulting the driver or other passengers and destruction of bus property may lead to:
- Permanent loss of subsidised school travel privileges, and possible court action or police prosecution
- Banned from travelling on buses.
The police will be called to deal with highly dangerous behaviour.
These penalties reflect the seriousness of the misbehaviour. They ensure that all students who misbehave on buses are dealt with in a fair and consistent manner, no matter which bus operator or school is involved.
If students are refused travel, parents/guardians/carers must make alternative travel arrangements and meet any costs of that transport. They will not be eligible for the Transport for NSW Private Vehicle Conveyance Scheme under these circumstances.
A group of school students behaving unacceptably may risk higher penalties if their conduct puts the safety of other passengers or the driver at risk.
The operator will inform Transport for NSW of its decision. Transport for NSW may inform an operator of a student's record of misbehaviour. Please refer to the Guidelines for Managing School Students' Behaviour on Buses for dealing with incidents of inappropriate behaviour. Copies of the Guidelines are available (pdf 184KB). Copies are also available at each school.
Consequences of inappropriate behaviour
If a student misbehaves on a bus, the bus operator concerned will contact the parents and the school.
- Depending on the gravity of the offence, students may be required to give up their school bus travel pass or may be refused travel on the bus for a period of time determined by the bus operator.
- Heavier penalties may apply to students involved in group misbehaviour.
- School principals have the right to take additional disciplinary action against a student under the school's discipline code or student welfare policy for any breach of the code of conduct.
The bus operator must provide written notification to the parents, guardians or carers before a student's school bus travel pass can be withdrawn.
What to do if you disagree
If parents, guardians or carers don't agree with a decision, they should contact the bus operator. If they are still not satisfied, they can contact the nearest Transport for NSW office. Toll-free telephone numbers for each office are listed below.
For more information please telephone your nearest Transport for NSW office on these toll free numbers:
Parramatta: 1800 227 774
Newcastle: 1800 049 983
Wollongong: 1800 049 961
Code of conduct for school students on CityRail trains and stations
Student responsibilities
All students are to behave in a manner that ensures both their comfort and safety and that of other passengers in order to retain their free school rail pass.
Students will:
- Obey all signage instructions on stations and trains.
- Respect the needs and comfort of other passengers.
- Behave safely at all times (e.g. avoid running or riding bikes, scooters or roller blades on stations and trains, keep off the train lines, keep arms, legs and other body parts inside the train, refrain from touching train doors, safety equipment or any part of a moving train ).
- Use non-offensive language and behave appropriately at all times on rail property, such as avoiding swearing, spitting, fighting, throwing items; keep feet off seats.
- Protect rail property and report graffiti and vandalism.
- Keep yourself and anything you are carrying clear of aisles, steps, thoroughfares and behind the yellow line on platforms.
- Take your rubbish with you and dispose of it thoughtfully.
- Follow the instructions of station staff, drivers, guards and transit officers.
- Carry your school rail pass during all travel.
- Spread out along the platform so as not to overcrowd one carriage. Avoid boarding carriages that are already overcrowded.
- Allow other passengers to alight before boarding and board the train without delay.
- Move inside the carriage and stand away from the doors during travel.
- Adhere to the rail safety act that bans all commuters from carrying knives, spray cans and permanent marker pens.
- Adhere to the law that bans smoking and drinking alcohol on trains.
More information about the code of conduct for school students on CityRail trains and stations 
.
Related links
- School student behaviour on buses brochure (pdf 184KB)
- Guidelines for managing school students' behaviour on buses (pdf 184KB)
Code of conduct translations
Last updated 28 February 2012
