Over 16 student transport

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If you are contacting us about your Love the Bus ticket, please cancel your direct debit with immediate effect, and once normal business is resumed, any refunds and queries will be dealt with. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

For more information about this ticket please read the ‘2019/20 County Ticket Terms and Conditions of use’ document in the Downloads section of this page. There you will find important information about ticket restrictions and cancellation details, look for the questions:

Is there a limit to the distance you can travel with a County Ticket?
What are the Individual Bus Operator Restrictions?
What if I apply and then no longer require the County Ticket?

It is very important that you read the full terms and conditions, including the declaration, as you will be asked to accept this on completion of the application form. Please be aware that this ticket may not be the most suitable or cheapest option for your individual needs and you are strongly advised to check other transport options before applying.

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How to use it

The County Ticket is valid on all Park and Ride services, whether the passenger uses a Park and Ride car park or is using it as a town service (for example, from college to the town centre). Drivers should never refuse travel to the holder of a valid County Ticket wherever they get on or off.

The County Ticket does not cover journeys that are wholly outside the administrative borders of Somerset County Council, or any travel by train.

The cardholder must present the card to the electronic reader on the bus. Where the bus does not have an electronic reader, please show the pass to the bus driver.

Eligibility

Students are eligible if they are aged 16 to 25 on 1 September of the academic year and are attending a 16+ establishment and the course they are taking is funded by the Education Funding Agency (EFA), or they are attending college as part of a work-based learning course. The 16+ establishment will be able to tell you if the EFA funds the chosen course.

Cost and funding

Cost
The cost is £810.00 and will be held at that for the 2019/20 academic year.

If you are paying your invoice through the direct debit scheme you should enter the document plan number instead of the invoice number.

Bursary Funding
You may be entitled to claim funding from the 16-19 Bursary Fund. please use this link or contact your chosen 16+ establishment for more information. We have also included more information about this fund in the ‘2019/20 County Ticket terms and conditions of use’ although this fund is administrated by the Education and Training providers and Somerset County Council has no involvement with eligibility or payments.

Other transport ticket options

All bus operators offer a range of daily tickets and most can offer types of season tickets at a discounted rate and we have included some information in the post 16 Transport Policy Statement 2019/20 available in the Download section.

We strongly advise you to check your options with the various bus operators to ensure the County Ticket is the most appropriate ticket for your individual needs. Please be aware that Somerset County Council has no control or responsibility over the amount commercial operators charge for their own tickets. They also have the right to vary their ticket prices as and when they feel it is commercially necessary.

Request a replacement County Ticket bus pass

If your County Ticket has been lost or stolen you can pay for a replacement ticket online using the button below.

Cost
The administration charge for this service is £10. It is possible to pay this charge online using the ‘Replace now’ button above.

Once we have received payment we will request a new ticket be sent to the students registered address within 5 working days.

If your County Ticket gets damaged or is not reading
It is your responsibility to keep the pass in an acceptable condition. If it becomes damaged you must return it to us with a £10 replacement administration fee. This means you may have to pay fares (which are not refundable) until you receive the replacement pass.

If the pass is undamaged but will not read on the “on bus” electronic ticket reader, please return the pass for inspection and if it is found to be faulty, we will replace it free of charge. Unfortunately, you may have to pay fares (which are not refundable) until you receive the replacement pass.

Or you can pay the £10 administration fee for a replacement as damaged and return the original pass for inspection, once the replacement has been received. If it is confirmed that the pass is undamaged but is faulty we will refund the administration fee.

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