School transport; applying for free transportation to school

The necessary transportation of pupils is the responsibility of the local authorities responsible for school transportation.

The necessary transportation of pupils on the way to school at

• public primary/middle and special schools;
• public or state-recognized private secondary schools, grammar schools, vocational schools (excluding part-time vocational schools), two-tier business schools and three- or four-tier business schools up to and including year 10, and
• public or state-recognized vocational schools with full-time teaching

is organized and financed by the school transport authorities.

The responsible bodies for public primary, secondary and special schools are the municipal school authorities of the schools; for other schools, the districts and independent cities in which the pupil has his or her usual place of residence.

Information on free transportation to school can be found under "Related topics".

The transportation obligation applies to regular compulsory and compulsory elective lessons at the nearest school, provided that the journey to school for

• pupils in grades 1 to 4 is longer than 2 km and
• is longer than 3 km for pupils in year 5 and above.

Exception:

• Pupils who are dependent on transportation due to a permanent disability are transported free of charge regardless of the distance.
• Transport can also be provided for school journeys of less than this distance if, following an assessment by the responsible authority, the journey to school is deemed to be particularly difficult or particularly dangerous. The nearest school is the compulsory school or the school to which the pupils are assigned or the school of the chosen type of school, training and subject area that can be reached with the least amount of transportation.

The responsible bodies work together with each other and with the schools. The interests of the pupils, the schools and the responsible bodies must be given due consideration. The principal or principal shall determine the teaching time in accordance with the school regulations in consultation with the responsible body.

The responsible bodies shall fulfill their transport obligations primarily with the help of public transport. Other means of transportation, e.g. school bus, private vehicle, cab or rental car, are only to be used if this is necessary or more economical overall. The public transport authority may fulfill its transport obligation in individual cases by offering a distance compensation for the reasonable use of private vehicles.