Proactive release of school student transport scheme (SSTS) Appeals Panel statistics

The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) is one of the most generous subsidised travel programs in Australia. The NSW Government provides more than $550 million to subsidise the 120 million trips taken annually by NSW school students to and from school.

The SSTS provides subsidised travel for eligible NSW school students on rail, bus, ferry and long distance coach services. A subsidy is also available for transport to and from schools in private vehicles in areas where there is no public transport available.

Transport for NSW manages the SSTS.

Schools play an important role in verifying whether a student is eligible under the SSTS and liaise with Transport for NSW and transport providers to support the application and pass distribution processes.

Transport for NSW and transport operators issue passes to eligible students.

In the event that a student is unsuccessful in their SSTS application they may apply for a review of the decision. Statistics on the numbers of applications for review, and the outcome of these reviews is provided below. 

Annual totals

 

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

201920202021

Number of appeals

171

178

149

134

150

265

177

209

248

256

330242213

Number of successful appeals

19

13

20

25

36

42

84

59

49

26

30740

Grounds of appeal and outcome

 Grounds of Appeal

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018201920202021

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

55

74

100

94

93

239

151

185

238

25023217271

Safety - Personal

33

45

36

6

15

6

14

1

2

1300

Hardship - Financial

64

54

50

48

26

54

51

24

24

2328811

Distance

8

5

7

8

6

0

0

0

0

0000

Other Family Circumstances

24

30

27

42

46

40

50

42

33

2133168

Other Reasons

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

003886

2023

 Grounds of Appeal

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

NovDec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

11107626910

Safety - Personal

01000000

Hardship - Financial

11100033

Distance

00000000

Other Family Circumstances

11100131

Other Reasons

12964145613

2022

 Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

NovDec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

15

92323123  

Safety - Personal

0

00001100  

Hardship - Financial

0

10000000  

Distance

0

00000000  

Other Family Circumstances

2

10020000  

Other Reasons

11

9119989910  

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

281913121312111113  

Number of successful appeals (upheld)

1252221123  

Withdrawn

15131110101010910  

Deferred

110011000  

Approved prior to meeting

000000000  

2021

 Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

NovDec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

33

176370325412

Safety - Personal

0

0000000015

Hardship - Financial

2

1015110000

Distance

0

0000000100

Other Family Circumstances

1

1015000100

Other Reasons

27

138589885913

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

603214815101110101330

Number of successful appeals (upheld)

105647112112

Withdrawn

4721838910891328

Deferred

           

Approved prior to meeting

           

2020

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in in January, August, September and October 2020

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

AugSepOctNov

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

71

35

19

18

5

5

   19

Safety - Personal

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Hardship - Financial

3

 

1

3

1

0

   0

Distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Other Family Circumstances

4

2

1

5

2

1

   1

Other Reasons

 

15

2

3

6

5

   7

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

71

51

23

24

12

10

2101227

Number of successful appeals (upheld)

1

0

1

4

1

0

0000

Withdrawn

63

40

11

9

11

9

2101225

Deferred

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Approved prior to meeting

20

15

8

6

3

2

2031

2019

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in in January 2019.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr/May

Jun

Jul

AugSepOctNov/Dec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

56

51

43

22

11

614227

Safety - Personal

2

1

0

 

 

    

Hardship - Financial

5

8

4

4

1

 123

Distance

 

 

 

 

 

    

Other Family Circumstances

5

9

7

4

1

 124

Other Reasons

 

 

 

 

 

 000

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

97

73

46

31

14

719439

Number of successful appeals (upheld)

3

10

7

4

1

0122

Withdrawn

48

26

19

16

12

37119

Deferred

0

0

0

0

0

    

Approved prior to meeting

25

18

0

0

0

15113

2018

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in in January 2018.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Dec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

25

28

32

30

38

15

20

18

19

25

Safety - Personal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Hardship - Financial

3

3

6

2

3

2

0

3

1

 

Distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Family Circumstances

1

4

4

 

4

3

 

3

1

1

Other Reasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

26

30

32

30

38

15

20

18

19

28

Number of successful appeals (upheld)

3

4

5

0

4

3

2

2

 

3

Withdrawn

1

1

1

1

 

 

 

 

1

 
Deferred         1

Approved prior to meeting

 

 

 

7

13

5

12

11

13

 

2017

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in in January 2017.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Nov

Dec

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

17

18

30

26

28

29

30

28

13

19

Safety - Personal

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Hardship - Financial

 

 

1

2

1

4

6

2

3

5

Distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Family Circumstances

2

3

1

5

3

4

5

4

2

4

Other Reasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

19

20

30

27

29

30

30

28

13

22

Number of successful appeals

3

3

6

7

7

5

6

5

3

4

Withdrawn

2

1

2

0

1

2

 

 

 

1

2016

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in in March, October or December 2016

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Nov

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

7

35

27

29

24

18

30

15

Safety - Personal

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Hardship - Financial

5

8

1

2

2

2

2

2

Distance

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Family Circumstances

7

12

5

3

4

2

5

4

Other Reasons

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

14

43

29

30

26

18

30

19

Number of successful appeals

5

16

5

8

6

7

8

4

2015

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in January or December 2015.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

25

27

23

24

28

14

2

3

2

3

151

Safety - Personal

1

1

0

3

2

1

1

0

4

1

14

Hardship - Financial

3

11

7

7

7

7

3

4

2

0

51

Distance

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Other Family Circumstances

4

0

5

9

6

7

5

3

8

3

50

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

28

34

4

22

43

17

7

6

10

6

177

Number of successful appeals

6

10

26

8

10

5

5

3

8

3

84

2014

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in January, August, October or December 2014.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Sept

Nov

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

50

75

29

31

29

8

10

7

239

Safety - Personal

1

2

1

1

0

0

0

1

6

Hardship - Financial

12

8

5

8

8

2

7

4

54

Distance

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Other Family Circumstances

5

7

3

5

9

2

4

5

40

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

55

81

31

35

32

9

12

10

265

Number of successful appeals

4

4

8

7

6

2

6

5

42

2013

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in January, April or September 2013.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

May

June

July

Aug

Oct

Nov

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

18

18

13

13

10

4

9

8

93

Safety - Personal

3

6

1

3

0

1

1

0

15

Hardship - Financial

8

5

4

6

0

1

0

2

26

Distance

0

0

1

3

2

0

0

0

6

Other Family Circumstances

12

5

11

9

2

2

1

4

46

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

27

28

25

26

14

6

11

13

150

Number of successful appeals

8

4

5

7

2

1

3

6

36

2012

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in January, February or September or November 2012.

Grounds of Appeal

March

April

May

June

July

Aug

Oct

Dec

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

35

14

7

7

11

6

8

6

94

Safety - Personal

0

1

0

0

3

1

1

0

6

Hardship - Financial

17

5

5

5

5

2

4

5

48

Distance

6

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

8

Other Family Circumstances

11

6

8

5

2

0

7

3

42

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

46

21

14

10

15

8

12

8

134

Number of successful appeals

7

6

1

0

4

1

4

2

25

2011

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in January or December 2011.

Grounds of Appeal

Feb

Mar

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

11

18

21

13

9

6

9

9

1

3

100

Safety - Personal

8

12

10

3

0

0

2

0

1

0

36

Hardship - Financial

3

9

9

9

2

7

6

1

2

2

50

Distance

0

0

1

3

0

1

0

1

1

0

7

Other Family Circumstances

1

1

6

3

4

5

2

1

1

3

27

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

17

26

36

22

10

9

12

10

3

4

149

Number of successful appeals

2

2

8

0

1

1

2

1

2

1

20

2010

The SSTS Appeals Panel did not sit in November 2010

Grounds of Appeal

Jan-July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Dec

Totals

Safety - Walking Route/Pedestrian Infrastructure

45

6

12

6

5

74

Safety - Personal

25

6

6

3

5

46

Hardship - Financial

36

5

7

5

1

54

Distance

3

2

0

0

0

5

Other Family Circumstances

22

3

3

1

1

30

Other Reasons

0

0

0

0

0

0

Number of appeals to SSTS Appeals Panel

123

15

18

9

9

174

Number of successful appeals

3

4

2

3

1

13