Bus Transportation

Yes. This Spring, we polled all new and returning Day families to gauge which of our families were interested in using the bus.  

Based on the responses to our poll, our busing provider Switzer-Carty plotted our bus routes, stops and times. Our routes ensure the following: 

• All buses arrive on campus by 8:00a.m. and depart at 4:40p.m. 
• Every rider is on the bus for less than 70 minutes. 
• Each bus has a maximum of two riders per bus seat. 
• Pick-up and drop-off locations are central, accommodating families living in close proximity. 
• Ample parking is available while waiting for the bus to arrive. 

If you are interested in our busing programme but have yet to complete our interest poll, please email [email protected], and our team will be happy to speak with you.

To apply for day student status at Ridley College, families must have a current, local address and reside within a 60 km radius of the campus. Anyone with a residence outside this radius applying as a day student must seek an exemption by requesting approval from the Director of Enrollment Management.

We are committed to enhancing the high level of service and amenities that make the Ridley experience truly exceptional. That's why the cost of bus transportation for all families is included in tuition fees. 

All the services, amenities and support we offer at Ridley are included in our tuition fees. We do not provide the option to opt-out of any of the services that we offer, as they comprise the comprehensive and exceptional student experience that we are proud of and we know our students and families value. 

There is only one wave of buses at the beginning and end of each school day. If your child is enrolled in aftercare or staying late for co-curricular activities, a parent or guardian will need to pick them up.

Yes, our bus transportation programme is available to all day students. It may be challenging for some students to take the bus home, as it will depend on their co-curricular/activity schedule. However, if they do not have co-curricular activities on a specific day, then taking the bus home is an option and students will be required to notify the school.

Our routes were created in partnership with our busing provider, Switzer-Carty. Routes were determined based on the addresses of families that expressed interest in our busing programme via the polls sent to new and returning families this Spring.

Busing routes and pick-up points are determined by our busing partner, Switzer Carty, based on ridership and will be finalized in July.  

Families who have expressed interest in our busing programme through our interest polls will be notified of their stop location and pick-up and drop-off times via the email they provided on the form.  

No. We will no longer change the stop locations once our bus routes are finalized in July. Pick-up and drop-off times may change should families opt out of the busing programme and we no longer require a particular stop.

Our busing programme will begin offering transportation for the 2024/25 school year on Wednesday, September 4th, for our Lower School students.

Transportation for our Middle School and Upper School students will begin the first day of classes which is Monday, September 9th. 

All buses will arrive at Ridley around 8:00a.m. This time will allow our buses to unload safely before individual family vehicles arrive and drop off their children.

Our youngest riders will be provided with a snack upon arrival and the opportunity to play with their friends while supervised by Ridley faculty.  

Older students can travel to their Houses to drop off their things or another space on campus and prepare for the start of the school day.  

Yes. Lower School and Middle School students will be given a grab-and-go snack upon arrival at Ridley in the morning, and Upper School students may also obtain a snack in the Upper School dining hall. Both options will be included at no additional charge.

The bus departure time will align with school release times, and we anticipate this to be around 4:40p.m. Between the end of the school day and when the buses arrive at Ridley, students will be required to be in aftercare or a co-curricular activity on campus. Aftercare will be provided at an additional fee.

Students who miss the bus in the morning will have to be driven to school. Any child who misses the bus in the afternoon will go to aftercare (Lower School and Middle School) and can be picked up on campus before 6:30p.m.

If your child will only occasionally ride or use the bus a few times a week, please opt-in for the bus service. It is important to note that we cannot make changes once the bus routes are finalized.  

Once the final bus routes are confirmed, we will communicate the process of providing the specific days of the week that your child will ride the bus.

Families will not be required to notify Ridley if their child is not riding the bus on a given day. All riders will continue with the established classroom absence process.

We understand that your plans for where your family will reside in September may still need to be finalized. We recommend that you officially opt-in to our busing programme and inform us that you plan to move via our [email protected] email. As soon as you know your new address, we ask that you inform us immediately so that we can see what spaces are available on our routes and find your stop.  

Your child will be provided with a fob, which will be scanned daily as they load onto and off the bus. This fob will inform you and the school when your child is on the bus. You can track the bus through our Zenduit app, including being notified when the bus is nearing your pick-up location. 

Cameras will be installed in the interior and exterior of each bus. 

An email was sent to all families in August each year outlining how to download Zenduit's ZenBus app. If you did not receive this email, please contact our team at [email protected].

To collect your child's fob, please visit our Middle School reception desk in the Second Century Building during Welcome to Ridley Days on Tuesday, September 3rd, between 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m. and 1:00p.m.-3:00p.m.

The Zenduit app's automated notifications have an approximate delay of 90 seconds from where the bus is in real-time, similar to the delay in food ordering or ride-sharing apps. Consequently, if you've opted to receive notifications about the bus's location, expect the bus to arrive a little earlier than you initially expected.

No, students must ride on their assigned bus route. Switching buses for any reason is not permitted, as we are not equipped to manage such changes. We want to ensure that your child returns home safely as planned.

We recommend arriving at your stop approximately 5-10 minutes early to ensure your child is at the bus stop when the bus arrives.

When other families are not at their stop to catch the bus, it can impact the arrival time for your stop by a couple of minutes, so we recommend arriving early just to be safe.