St Francis Xavier College Private Bus Service

St Francis Xavier College has a complex and extensive Private Bus fleet that assists parents in transporting children to and from school. These services are contracted buses as well as College owned buses. The College also offers a shuttle service from campus to campus.

Applications for the private school bus must be completed each year.

The College, together with our service provider Ventura Transit Pty Ltd, is committed to offering:

• Safety: every student has access to a seat, with seatbelt; friendly highly trained drivers
• Comfort: vehicles equipped with heating and cooling for personal comfort
• Efficient Service: Interactive private school bus route maps and times; Bus Minder App to track our private bus service vehicles in real time, student tracking by tap on & tap off RFID cards, parent alerts & service alerts

Details of the 2023 private school bus routes and stops can be viewed in the 2023 Bus Information Booklet.

You can also view all private school bus routes via the Ventura Tracker App (details below) or online at: AM Bus Routes | PM Bus Routes

Private Bus Service Terms and Conditions

• ALL Students and Parents/Guardians must read and sign the Bus Travel Contract
• ALL Students travelling on a bus must be at the marked designated PTV stop or Pick Up destination at least 10 minutes prior to departure to assist in the timely running of the network
• Students must carry their student card at all times as they will be required to tap on and tap off their bus. They must also produce the pass upon request
• If a student does not have a bus pass they can request a temporary pass prior to 2.00pm, during recess or lunch time from Student Services
• In the afternoon, if student is unable to produce either a temporary pass or regular bus pass as they are boarding the bus – they will not be allowed to board the bus. Students will then be instructed to go to Reception/Student Services to call parents/guardians to arrange an alternative way home
• Students must at all times behave in a responsible and respectful manner
• Students must not distract the bus driver
• The College retains the Travel Conveyance Allowance
• The College has the right to alter routes/times as the need arises
• The College bus service is to be used for travel to and from the place of residence, and not for personal convenience i.e. After school activities
• St Francis Xavier College Bus Registration Forms must be renewed each year
• Travel Conveyance Application Forms are available on the College Website and are to be submitted (if eligible) along with the Bus Travel Contract
• Seatbelts are fitted on all school buses; all students must wear their seatbelt

IMPORTANT: Students will be suspended from using the school bus service if it is deemed that they are breaching the Conditions of Use – as stated in the Bus Travel Contract

All Students travelling on a bus must be at the marked designated PTV stop or Pick Up destination at least 10 minutes prior to departure to assist in the timely running of the network.

The College requires the right to alter or amend services provided based on changing needs and demand.

Student Cards

Student cards will be issued to all students and used as your child’s student bus pass to tap on/off the school bus. Students must always carry their student card. They must also produce the pass upon request.

Your child’s allocated bus/shuttle WILL NOT be displayed on this card.

Ways to ensure your child remembers their allocated bus/shuttle number:

• Download the Ventura Tracker App on your mobile phone and save your allocated bus/shuttle as a favourite (more details below).
• Place a sticker on the student card with the bus/shuttle number
• Save your child’s bus/shuttle number in a safe place they can access

Replacement Cards

If a student has misplaced or forgotten their student card, they can request a temporary pass prior to 2.00pm, during recess or lunch time from Student Services.

In the afternoon, if student is unable to produce either a temporary pass or regular pass as they are boarding the bus, they will not be allowed to board the bus. Students will then be instructed to go to Reception/Student Services to call parents/guardians to arrange an alternative way home.

If a replacement student card is required, a signed note from the parent/guardian and $5.00 needs to be submitted to Student Services or ordered online via CDF pay. A new student card will then be issued to the student.

Ventura GPS Tracking

Whilst every effort is made to ensure students arrive to school at the advertised times, drivers do encounter challenges, eg. traffic congestion, roadworks, weather, break downs, etc. Ventura has launched an interactive private school maps and times App to track our private bus service.

Ventura Tracker uses GPS technology to track each school bus. Schools, parents, and students can access this information via the APP or Ventura Website to view where the bus is, the route the bus will take, the designated bus stops, and the times for each stop (Scheduled, Actual, and Departed). The College can also track each student’s use of the bus through a touch on/touch off system.

Please see the bus track brochure for information and instructions on how to download the App.

SIMON Everywhere App – PAM App

Notifications will be made to the SIMON Everywhere App, including notifications about late running buses, disruptions to the GPS tracking and bus breakdowns/delays. All notifications to the AM and PM service will be sent via the SIMON Everywhere App.

The SIMON Everywhere App can run on Android and iOS devices.  It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Full details regarding the installation process can be found in PAM under Knowledge Bank / Parent Information / SIMON Everywhere App.

Further Information

If you have any queries or need help, please contact our Transport Coordinator

busenquiries@sfx.vic.edu.au

Kirsty Burkwood
Transport Coordinator
03 9707 3111