NIBS provides bus services for children who go to schools in Wickford, Billericay, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Hutton, Shenfield and Brentwood. You should find details of the school bus routes relevant to you on the back page of this booklet. If any of your questions aren't answered here our helpful staff can assist you. Our telephone number is (01268) 767870, or feel welcome to drop into our office in Bruce Grove, Wickford. Whilst we enjoy full co-operation with the schools we serve we do not receive any financial support from schools, local education authority or the council.

We hope the following questions and answers will help you:-

How reliable are NIBS school bus services?

We do everything humanly possible to get your child from home to school and back again. We take great pride in our record of reliability.

What type of ticket will my child need?

We offer two means of paying for travel. A child can buy a ticket on the bus each time he, or she, travels. You can also buy a NIBS season ticket to cover a half term period. A season ticket is significantly cheaper than daily payments.

Can I get a one way ticket?

Yes. A NIBS season ticket can be purchased for travel if your child travels to or from school only. Once again this is cheaper than paying the fare every day.

Do the fares increase when my child is 14?

No. We charge the same rates for all students irrespective of age.

What happens if a school changes its start or finish times?

We make every effort to accommodate the occasional days when school times vary. Normally this only happens at the start or end of term. Where a school Where a school makes permanent changes to its times, we will make every effort to accommodate these changes.

How will my child know which bus to catch?

We realise that your child's first few days at a new school can be a truly daunting experience. With this in mind we brief all of our drivers to be as helpful as possible to our new passengers. For the first few afternoons of the new school year we have staff present at those schools where more than one bus departs. We also display the destination and the service number on the front of each bus.

What happens if my child gets on the wrong bus?

Ask your child to tell the driver as soon as the mistake is realised. All of our buses have two way radios so we can co-ordinate a way to get your child home (it may take a little longer). Rest assured that, if they tell the driver, we would not leave your child stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Where can my child get on the bus?

Our buses will stop at any bus stop en-route. Where there are several bus stops within a very small area we sometimes ask all the children to wait at one stop. This will never cause your child to have to walk very far.

What happens if my child is sick, or away from school?

We will credit you for non-use of season tickets providing that the period is three days or more, and that we have the ticket in our possession for the period of non-use. You can send the ticket to us by post, or via our driver. When you want us to return your ticket, give us a ring, and we'll either post it back, or send it to your child via the driver.

What happens if my child misses the bus?

In the morning there are a number of buses running from the Basildon area to Billericay. If your child misses the bus there may be one five minutes behind it, please refer to the timetable for full details. In the afternoon there is a later bus from Mayflower, St Johns and Billericay schools to Basildon and Wickford.

What if my child wants to bring a friend home on the bus?

Your child is welcome to bring a friend (or friends) home on the bus, as long as the friend pays the appropriate single fare. If your child is going to bring the whole class home for a party please give us a ring so that we can sort out our loadings for that day.

Do I need a photo-card?

All NIBS tickets require a photograph to be sealed into them to make them valid. We do not need a photograph sent to us before we can issue a ticket but if you send us one we will stick it in for you. Photographs can be re-used by cutting them out of the old pass and fitting them to the new one.

What happens if my child loses the NIBS season ticket?

We currently charge £5.00 for a duplicate season ticket that can be paid to the driver on the bus. After verifying that your child holds a season ticket our driver will issue a receipt which may be used for travel until the replacement arrives. We may ask you child to obtain a duplicate if the ticket is damaged or defaced.

How much is a season ticket?

Season ticket prices vary with the length of the half term and the distance travelled. Each time you purchase a season ticket you will be advised how much the next one will be. If this price changes you will be given as much notice as possible. Fares for a sample period are shown on the rear of this booklet.

How do I pay for a season ticket?

You can pay in person at our Wickford office, by post, by telephone or by fax. We accept payment by cash, cheque, or by credit or debit card. If you collect your ticket from our office, or provide a stamped addressed envelope you can take £1.00 from the price shown. Cheques should be made payable to “NIBS”.

Will there be room on the bus for my child?

Where more than one bus runs from the same point your child may be allocated to a particular vehicle to avoid overcrowding. We make every effort to avoid overcrowding, but please bear with us at the start of the school year whilst we make adjustments to vehicle sizes as appropriate.

What about behaviour, and smoking?

We expect children to behave in a reasonable manner at all times. Parents will be notified of any serious misbehaviour. In extreme cases, where a child is a particularly disruptive influence, parents may be asked to make alternative travel arrangements. Smoking is not permitted on any NIBS buses. Parents will be notified of any child who breaks this rule.

How do I know about changes to your services?

We will write to the home address of all season ticket holders advising any changes that that might affect your child's travel arrangements. We post notices in the buses for those children who do not buy season tickets.

What happens if my child leaves something on the bus?

Children have an amazing ability to lose anything placed in their care. By the end of each term we have piles of jumpers, bags and shoes. Please give us a ring as soon as you realise that you have lost something and we will make arrangements for its return.

Which schools do NIBS serve?

The schools currently served by NIBS are:- Mayflower, Billericay, Anglo European, St Johns School (Billericay), St John Payne, Shenfield, Ursuline, Chelmsford County High, KEGS, Bromfords, Beauchamps and Hedley Walter Schools. If the school you are interested in isn't in the list above contact our office and we may be able to arrange something.

How do I book a place on the bus?

Contact our office (details overleaf) and we will inform you of prices for the new academic year and advise of when payments need to be arranged.