Who buys school transport?
Local authorities, which have duties to arrange travel to school for eligible children of compulsory school age, including many children with special educational needs and disabilities. The Department for Education's statutory guidance sets out those duties; its 26 May 2026 update clarified information about DBS checks.[1]
Where are school transport contracts advertised?
In England, contracts worth over £12,000 including VAT can be searched on Contracts Finder, and high-value ones (usually above £139,688 including VAT) on Find a Tender. Scotland uses Public Contracts Scotland, Wales Sell2Wales, and Northern Ireland eSourcing NI and eTendersNI. Councils also run their own supplier portals, so register with your council's procurement team too.[2]
What will the council check?
Expect it to check that your operator, drivers and vehicles are licensed, that drivers and any passenger assistants have the right DBS checks, your insurance, safeguarding training and, for some routes, wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Most councils already require safeguarding training as a licence condition: 279 of 289 councils in England and Wales required child sexual exploitation training for private hire drivers in 2026.[1][3]
How do you price and run school routes?
Price each route from the full time the car and driver are committed (including the empty run to the first pick-up and back), not just the loaded miles, and plan cover for sick days, because a missed school run is a contract problem. Keep a record of every run for invoicing.
School runs are standing orders entered once; the timeline shows every car's day and flags clashes. See also TaxiDex for school transport.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special licence for school runs?
Normally your taxi or private hire licences cover it; a vehicle carrying 9 or more passengers needs a PSV operator licence, and councils add their own contract conditions.
What is SEND school transport?
Transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities, which can involve passenger assistants and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Sources
Fees and rules change. Each source is the official page we read, with the date we read it; check it before you apply or pay.
- [1] Department for Education: Home-to-school travel, statutory guidance (last updated 26 May 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [2] GOV.UK: Contracts Finder (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [3] Department for Transport: Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England: 2026, data tables TAXI0104, TAXI0105 and TAXI0108-TAXI0112 (figures at 1 April 2026) (read 2 Nov 2026)
- [4] GOV.UK: PSV (public service vehicle) operator licences (read 2 Nov 2026)