School Transport
Pupils receiving preschool education or basic education and living more than five kilometres from their school have a right to receive school transport free of charge. School journey refers to the shortest route available to pedestrians all year round, measured from the school gate to the edge of a pupil’s home building yard.
School transport is primarily organised using already existing public transport routes and services. School children who cannot use public transport are usually transported in chartered vehicles.
Preschool pupils receive their school transport primarily as an accompanying allowance paid to the guardian. In other words, guardians must take care of transporting their children to preschool and back, and they will receive an allowance to cover the expenses. The allowance equals the sum taken out for the cheapest available adult’s ticket product in public transport used within the municipality. The allowance is paid to the guardian’s bank account, on a monthly basis in arrears. Accompanying allowance may be granted if the school journey is over 5 km long, or the Education Department has deemed the school road as dangerous. The right to allowance is limited to journeys between home and preschool, lasting for four hours daily. In other words, it is not possible to receive the preschool accompanying allowance for journeys to day care and home.
School transport principles in the municipality of Sipoo follow both the Finnish Basic Education Act and decisions made by the municipal education committee.
Do the following
You can contact the School transport Service number for more information and to make an application.
School transport may be applied for:
- preschoolers with more than 5 km to school, or when the road is dangerous (application for accompanying allowance)
- pupils on grades 1–3 with more than 3 km to school
- pupils on grades 4–6 with more than 5 km to school
- pupils who begin on grade 7 and have more than 5 km to school
- pupils on certain grades when the road is deemed dangerous for them
- other reasons, see school transport principles for more information
Information
If you need more information, please call the service number during the phone time or leave a message through My Services.
To whom and on what terms
Transport Principles
Travel and Waiting Times
The maximum time for a pupil’s school journey including waiting times is not to exceed two and a half hours (2.5 h). For pupils who turn 13 and older at the beginning of the school year, the maximum time for school journey is three hours (3 h). Pupils waiting for their school transport are to be given an opportunity to take part in guided activities.
Additional Transports
When pupils in classes 1–6 have more than two (2) kilometres, and pupils in classes 7–9 more than three (3) kilometres to the nearest buss stop, they are to receive additional transport by taxi.
HSL Travel Card for School Children
Pupils entitled to receive school transport will get at travel card. The card is valid on school journeys for one school year at a time, upon condition that there are no changes in the pupil’s school, school journey or other information related to granting school transport. Pupils who have been granted right to school transport may collect their travel cards at a municipal service point. Please note that they need to show their KELA-card in order to receive the travel card.
Particular Transport Principles
Pupils with less than five (5) kilometres to school may be eligible to receive school transport on special grounds. Transport applications are to be made in writing, for one school year at a time.
Transport or transport allowance are granted on these grounds:
- Long School Journey
Transport or allowance may be granted due to the length of the school journey, if the journey for pupils in preschool or grades 1–3 is over three (3) kilometres.
- Health Reasons
Transport/allowance may be granted if the school journey is determined to be too straining or difficult for the pupil. In these cases, an expert opinion written by a doctor or a psychologist must always be attached to the application form.
- Dangerous School Road.
The municipality of Sipoo uses expert help in evaluating the safety of the school trip with Koululiitu-program, which is a tool for assessing the safety of the school trip.The dangerous roads defined by Sipoo municipality can be found in the attachment on the right side of the page (in Finnish).
Basic information and legislation
Pupils in pre-primary or basic education are entitled to free school transport organised by the municipality if
- the distance to school is over five kilometres one way or
- the journey otherwise is too difficult, strenuous or dangerous in view of the pupil’s age or circumstances.
The daily travel to school and back home may take at most two and a half hours including any waiting time, and for pupils aged 13 or over, three hours.
An alternative to free transport is a subsidy granted to the parents for transporting and accompanying the pupil.