School transportation

A student living in Turku has a right to a free school transport if the way to school is over five kilometers or dangerous.

School transport in the City of Turku is primarily organised using public bus services. The student may be issued with a school bus card, which they can use to travel by bus free of charge, 2 bus trips/ day.

In special cases charter transport can be arranged if the grounds for transport are fulfilled.

School bus card

• The decision on arranging school transport is made separately for grades 1–6 and 7–9 if the pupil lives over 5 km away from the school
• If the pupil moves or changes schools, a new decision must be made.
• The school trip is calculated from the pupil's home address to the school's address using a route planner
• The school transport benefit is not granted for an address other than the pupil’s official home address entered in the population system. An exception to this is a temporarily placed child on child welfare grounds
• A school card may be issued for a shorter distance than provided for here if: The trip to school can be considered dangerous or the school trip becomes too difficult or strenuous for the pupil taking into account the pupil's age and other circumstances
• Applications are processed on a case-by-case basis and assessed together with the city’s traffic planning
• Only a statement by a public healt care is taken into account
• If the child upon the guardian’s application attends a school other than their nearest school the guardian is responsible for transporting the child
• Students that start their 1st or 7th grade in their local school do not need to apply for a school bus card separately. The length of their school route is measured automatically and you get a message from Wilma of an approved school bus card before school starts
  

  Charter transportation, transport by taxi

• The way to school takes longer than 2,5 hours (3 hours for over 13-year-olds)
• The distance between the home and the nearest bus stop is more than 5 km
• Health reasons. If you are applying for transportation for the first time you will need an expert opinion to be granted the right which may be an existing expert opinion. The expert statement must be from public health care
• The route to school is dangerous
• If a student attends a school other than his/her own local school (e.g. language classes an international school or a school in a foreign school district) the costs of transporting and accompanying the pupil are the responsibility of the parent in all cases requiring long-term charter transport
• Temporary transport for example in the event of an accident. All students in basic education in the City of Turku are entitled in the event of an accident at school. If the municipality of residence is a other than Turku the municipality of residence is responsible for the compensation

1. Apply for school transportation by filling out the school transportation form. Mark on the form if you are applying for school bus card or charter transport.
2. Attach the needed attachments to your application. Also remember to include your child's timetable.
3. Send the filled out form with its attachments in Suomi.fi or by mail.

For more information about school transportation, please send an email to koulukuljetukset@turku.fi.