School travel in Suffolk & Essex

Parent's Guide to Children Travelling to High School

As a new term approaches, Central Connect is here to help make your child’s journey back to school easier and more affordable for your family throughout the next academic year.

Information for Parents

We offer two different types of school travel passes, depending on your family’s circumstances:

1. Council-funded travel pass: If you are eligible, your child’s travel will be provided at no cost to your family, and you will be notified directly by your local council.

2. Self-funded travel pass: If you are not eligible for a council-funded pass, you can purchase a travel pass directly from Central Connect for your child to use during the 2026/2027 academic year.

Whether your child receives a funded pass or you need to purchase their travel, their ticket will be issued through the Central Connect app. This means your child can carry it on their mobile phone, helping to prevent lost passes. Their ticket must be scanned each time they board the bus, so please remind them to keep their phone charged.

Please ensure that every child has the Central Connect app  - an new version of the Konectbuses app - installed on their phone (not yours). Their app ticket must be scanned when boarding, as this registers their travel with us.

Parents will manage the purchase and renewal of their child’s tickets.

For the 2026/27 Academic Year

• Annual and termly passes will be available to purchase from late July. These tickets allow you to pay upfront for your child’s travel for the entire school year. 
• Subscription tickets will be available from late August. These help spread the cost of school travel over the year, making it easier to budget household bills. As subscription tickets renew automatically each month, you can relax knowing your child’s travel is covered.

Setting Up the Central Connect App on Your Child’s Phone

1. Download the app: Download the Central Connect app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

2. Log in: Your child should log in using their existing Konectbuses account details (email and password) to transfer any tickets. They may need to verify their account via email. If they don’t have an account, they should follow the sign-up instructions in the Central Connect app.

What Happens Next?

Funded Travel (via Essex County Council):

In the last week of August, you will receive a unique app code from Central Connect to the parent email address held by Essex County Council.

Your child can redeem this code in the Redeem section within Mobile Tickets on the app. Please do not redeem this on your own phone, as tickets are not transferable.

Funded Travel (via Suffolk County Council):
Entitled pupils in Suffolk will have their passes managed and distributed directly by Suffolk County Council. Please visit Suffolk on Board for more information.

Tickets Gifted by Parents:
If you purchase a ticket and send it to your child as a gifted ticket, they will receive an email with a voucher code to redeem in the Redeem section of the app. Once redeemed, the ticket will be ready to use.

Activating and Using the Ticket:
Your child must activate their ticket in Mobile Tickets before boarding the bus. They will show the activated ticket to the driver and scan it. It’s best to activate the ticket at home, as an internet connection is required. Please ensure their phone is fully charged, as the driver can refuse travel if they do not have a valid ticket when boarding.

Managing Ticket Purchases and Subscriptions

You can manage your child’s ticket purchases and subscriptions through your parent account on the Central Connect website or app.

Student Ticket Verification

When you buy a student ticket, you’ll need to verify your child’s age before they can travel. Here are the steps to get your child verified:

1. Purchase your ticket, and then press 'GET VERIFIED'.
2. Select the ticket you wish to verify.
3. Upload a clear photo of official ID (Passport, Birth Certificate, Educational ID, or Acceptance Letter). Approval can take up to 24 hours, so please don’t leave this until the day they return to school.
4. Your child will need to upload a selfie to confirm their identity.

Keeping Informed and Reassured

Set up personalised notifications:
Encourage your child to use the Service Updates section in the app settings for their regular routes, so they receive direct alerts about changes or delays.

Tracking buses on the app:
Your child can track live bus locations using the app to stay informed about arrivals and delays.

Please use the website and app for the latest information before contacting our Customer Services team, as all service updates are published there first.

By following these steps, especially using subscription options, your child’s school travel with Central Connect can be reliable, straightforward, and budget-friendly.