School Student Transport Scheme Appeals Process
If a student has been deemed ineligible to be granted subsidised travel by the school or operator, the first step is for parents/guardian to reapply in writing to the nearest office of the Ministry of Transport, setting out the reasons why subsidised travel should be provided.
Should the Ministry not approve subsidised travel and the parents/guardian believe that there are special circumstances such as safety and/or hardship issues, they can appeal the Ministry's decision.
These appeals are heard by the SSTS Appeals Panel which is an independent panel that considers each case on its merits. Members of the Appeals Panel consist of representatives of the Department of Education and Training, Sydney Ferries Corporation and a rotating representative of either the Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations of NSW, the Council of Catholic School Parents or NSW Parents' Council.
The Panel may uphold an appeal if it concludes that special circumstances apply. Special circumstances generally relate to situations where a family experiences exceptional and/or substantial issues in transporting an ineligible child to school.
The Panel does not review decisions about the mode of transport or the route approved for eligible students to travel by, nor the application of the radial distance test by the school or transport operator, nor the walking distance test conducted by the Ministry of Transport.
The Panel reviews around 180 appeals each year. It usually meets bi-monthly, or more often where a high number of appeals have been received. Each appeal received is investigated before it can be submitted to a Panel meeting for adjudication. This means that the time between an appeal being received and resolved can take up to 8 weeks and can sometimes be longer.
Approximately 15% of appeals are upheld.
To appeal to the Panel you need to fill out and submit the following form:
