Transportation for Special Education Students

Is my child eligible for transportation services?

Transportation is considered a related service. Under the Chancellor's Regulations, the school district must provide transportation to special education students residing in New York City to and from the school they legally attend. Your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) must specify what sort of transportation services your child requires (for example, door-to-door transportation, limited travel time, etc.).

To get specific information about your child's bus route, go to the Office for Pupil Transportation (OPT) website and enter your child's Student ID number. The OPT may also be reached at (718) 784-3313.

If your child moves, notify the Committee on Special Education (CSE)[DS1] in your region as soon as possible and ask them to change the pickup address with Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT).

Filing a Complaint with the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT)

If your child is currently receiving transportation services, and there are problems with the service, you may want to contact the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT). Examples of complaints include:

• Failure of drivers or escorts to perform their duties.
• Reckless driving or other safety issues.
• Driver or escort mistreatment of students.
• Student misbehavior.
• Bus arrives late to school.
• Pick-ups missed, late, or inconsistent.
• Routing inconsistent with your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

What can I do if I have a complaint about my child's transportation services?

To make a complaint with the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT), take these two steps:

• Step 1: Call the OPT: The Office of Pupil Transportation has created a single telephone number for complaints. It is the OPT Customer Service Center at (718) 392-8855. When calling:
• Ask for a customer representative.
• Tell the customer representative about your problem.
• Ask for a complaint number. Be sure to write this number and keep it handy. You can use it check the status of your complaint.
• Step 2: Follow-up on Your Complaint: Generally, the OPT will not call you to give you an update on your complaint. Instead, you should call the OPT at (718) 392-8855 a few days after you make your complaint to see how it is progressing.
• When you call, be sure to state the complaint number that you wrote down.
• If the follow-up has not been successful, you may want to call the OPT's main line at (718) 784-3313. Ask to speak with a supervisor or investigator.

What other steps should I take?

At the same time that you notify the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT), notify your child's school of any problem. The principal will review complaints about bus service made by a parent. The school administration can act on various problems. It can issue violations, mediate disputes, create bus behavior intervention plans, conduct workshops, and take a variety of other steps.

If your child is a special education student who is not receiving the transportation services mandated by his or her Individualized Education Program (IEP), and the problem is not resolved within a reasonable time of making a complaint, call the Committee on Special Education[DS2] for your region.

Want more information?

• The Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) of the NYC Department of Education. Click here. In the right-hand column, you may find available bus routes using your child's NYC ID #, as well as transportation information by school.
• For the OPT's website on transportation for special education students, click here.
• If you have further questions, you may reach the OPT main line at (718) 784-3313 or the complaint line at (718) 392-8855.
• The Chancellor's Regulations on Pupil Transportation (A-801). Click here.