School Runs: What Happens if You Can't Make the Drive?
From lacking transport routes and unsafe commutes to rigid work schedules and time-stretched parents, the school trip can be a complicated one. So, what’s the solution?
In this article, we look at the key issues facing parents, and the solutions available for safe, reliable, and compliant transport.
We’ll cover:
How are kids getting to school? And who’s getting left behind?
Who’s being hit hardest when it comes to school runs?
Children with access needs
The impact of the return to the office
Single parent families
Rural isolation
What alternatives are available for school transport?
Free UK-backed transport for children
Bristol and Bath case study: Zippe Transport
Private bus services
Private car hire
How are kids getting to school? And who’s getting left behind?
Let’s look at the facts.
The UK Gov’s 2023 National Travel Survey reveals that 47% of children between the ages of 5 and 10 walk to school, with 45% taking the car. Just 2% travelled to and from school by the local bus.
For 11 to 16-year-olds, 44% got to school by walking, 28% by car, and 3% by bicycle. Perhaps most interesting here is the reveal that, before the pandemic, 23% of 11 to 16-year-olds relied on the bus - compared to just 14% in 2023.
So what’s driving this shift?
Local bus routes cut by up to 70%
For parents whose children don’t walk to school, several reasons are listed,
It’s too far
It takes too long
Children are too young
Personal security concerns
Health reasons
Road safety concerns
Despite this, alternatives are few and far between, with almost one in 10 local bus services axed between 2022 and 2023.
Those outside of London have been feeling the pressure more than most, with council-run bus provisions falling across the country. Some of the hardest-hit districts include,
Slough (bus provisions cut by 65%)
Stoke (cut by 64%)
Bath (cut by 52%)
Warrington (52%)
Rutland (70%)
Hardly a wonder then, that almost 10% of 11 to 16-year-olds have lost bus route access to their school in recent years.
And yet, for many parents, this is simply the tip of the iceberg.
Who’s being hit hardest when it comes to school runs? And why?
From families supporting children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) to rural communities lacking key resources, we address the most common reasons for school-run complications.
Children with access needs
For children with SEND, a walk or bus route is not always an option. Parents and caregivers (often working full-time to meet the needs of their children while simultaneously navigating a cost-of-living crisis) require a fit-for-purpose mode of transport that caters for their child’s needs.
While families can invest in bespoke equipment (and many do), it doesn’t account for the flexibility required of SEND parents to look after their children. Which brings us to….
Return to office
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 38% of workers worked from home, compared to just 14% in 2024. While the pandemic posed phenomenal challenges for families, it also revealed a new mode of working that – for many – afforded much-needed flexibility.
When schools began to reopen, many families still had the autonomy that came with remote and flexible working, allowing caregivers to share the load when it came to school transport.
Despite its monumental benefits for families, employers have since scaled back the work-from-home approach, with over 40% of employers requiring staff to now work from the office 5 days a week.
The result?
Time-strapped parents, struggling to juggle in-office obligations with the daily demands of family life. For two-parent households, this is already a huge strain, with no guarantee that either partner will have the flexibility required to take children to school on time.
Which brings us to single-parent families.
Single parents
1 in 4 families in the UK are headed by a single parent, solely responsible for the A to Z of their child’s life. For many, this involves full or part-time work, 24/7 childcare, and a mountain of responsibilities that make ‘schedule flexibility’ a mere fantasy.
Add to that a dwindling bus route network, complex childcare needs, or simply unsafe commutes – and the school run becomes a phenomenal challenge.
But how does location play into this?
Rural communities
One of the hardest-hit groups when it comes to school-run inaccessibility is rural communities.
In the 2022 UK Gov Transport Survey, 11% of trips to and from school by children living in rural towns were made by local bus, with 12% being by private bus in 2022. In 2023, this dropped to 9% of trips being via local bus, and 8% via private bus.
Unsurprisingly, the individual carbon footprint of rural communities when it comes to commuting is significantly higher, with families being greatly limited by the choices available for transport. So much so, in 2022, children living in rural villages, hamlets and isolated dwellings made the highest proportion of their trips to and from school by car with 57% in 2022, followed by private bus with 18%.
These figures became starker in 2023, with 63% of students relying on a car for transport, with just 13% (local bus routes) and 12% (private bus) having access to other methods.
What alternatives are available for school transport?
chool transport are (in order), walking, cars, local buses, private buses, bikes, and rail – their availability varies wildly from district to district, and family to family.
For some families, whether due to rural isolation, a child’s specific needs, or schedule restraints, a slightly different route needs to be taken. Below we address the options available to caregivers, and how to avail of them.
Free school transport, backed by the UK government
The UK government needs to provide transport access for children of compulsory school age, and, under certain circumstances – your family may just qualify for free support.
In terms of requirements, you can apply for free school transport if:
the school is more than 2 miles away, and your child is under 8;
the school is more than 3 miles away and your child is 8 or over;
there is no safe walking route between their home and school;
Or, they cannot walk, because of special educational needs, disabilities, or a mobility problem.
It’s worth noting if your family doesn’t qualify - you may still qualify if you have low family income. Not sure where to start? You can check whether your child is eligible for transport support on the GOV UK website.
Who will be taking your children to school under this scheme?
For caregivers considering this scheme, it's important to ask – who are you trusting to take care of your children in the distance between home and their school?
Where the usual channels of transport fail, private companies will often fill the commuting gap, and in the context of a child’s transport – these companies often provide a specialised service attuned to your family’s needs.
For example, in the case of Bristol and Bath, the local authorities have approved Zippe through their rigorous tender process, confident that they could meet the strict safety requirements of child transport.
Who are Zippe Cars? Bristol and Bath Council’s choice of government-backed school transport
Founded in 2017 by Daniel McIntyre, Zippe was formed from a clear belief: transportation is more than just a service – it’s a responsibility. As a result, the business focused closely on community impact, Driver training (spanning welfare through to child safeguarding protocols), and focus on people over profit.
While Zippe has a number of services it’s perhaps best known for its “Home-2-School service”.
Meeting the strict requirements of schools and local authorities, the service:
provides safe, reliable and compliant transport for children and vulnerable adults;
provides thoroughly vetted Drivers;
and equips Drivers with bespoke training, designed to place the welfare of passengers at the centre of the service.
Based in Bristol and Bath? Explore our website to meet the people behind the Home-2-School service.
Private bus
Where government support isn’t available, and bus routes are lacking, some communities opt for private minibuses (up to 16 seats) – often organised, in part, by parents/carers and independent schools.
We recommend you conduct due diligence to ensure the provider meets compliance requirements, and you should expect this service to be reliable, trustworthy, and ultimately, safe.
To access this, it’s often best to contact your school directly to enquire firstly, whether they have this system in place, and secondly, how your child can access it.
In need of a mini-bus? Discover Zippe’s sister company, Zippe Minibuses.
Taxi service
In instances where you aren’t eligible for government support, but still require transport – taxis (up to 8 seats) can be invaluable. Life is unpredictable, and, while we’d love to prevent it: the unexpected happens.
Whether an urgent need has arisen, work interferes with the school run, or your schedule is thrown into disarray – taxis can allow you to regain control over the situation.
However, it’s worth noting here that a balance needs to be struck between the safety of your child, and the cost-effectiveness of a service.
We recommend strongly doing your research, and honing in on a Home-2-School specialist that:
Operate in and are trusted by the local community.
Have a reputation for reliability, safety, and compliance.
Prioritise rigorous vetting procedures.
Are a local authority-approved Home-2-School provider.
And, where possible, provide experienced Drivers with training specific to child transport needs.
By collating this list, you can be assured that in the event of a surprise need – the school run isn’t an added source of stress. Beginning your research? The National Occupational Standards provide a handy go-to sheet on what you should expect from private hire rides for children.
Get support for school transport
While the school run can be stressful – there are options out there dedicated to the safety of your child’s commute. We hope that, armed with the above resources, you manage to find the right solution for you.
