Bus information
All enquiries regarding bus travel to Marist College Bendigo can be directed to
buses@marist.vic.edu.au or 5400 1252.
Some other useful contacts are:
Organs Bus Company – 03 5422 1788
Christian’s Bus Company – 03 5447 2222
School Bus Program (Country Bus) – 1800 338 663
School Town Specials (STS) - provided by PTV (Public Transport Victoria)
Bendigo School Town Specials (STS) – run by Christians Bus Company, School Town Specials operate within school times only, in areas where regular town services do not meet school time requirements. These buses have routes that cover Eaglehawk, Maiden Gully, Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square and into Bendigo (Tom Flood Sports Centre) and are only available to school students. To access these buses you will need a tap on tap off MYKI card or a yearly/half yearly student bus pass (see bus pass information below).
For the current timetable of school town specials that service Marist, please see below links.
Public Bus 54 – provided by PTV
Bus 54 (Maiden Gully) – run by Christians Bus Company and provides travel to the College and the Bendigo Railway station using the regular timetabled services. This bus may also have general public travelling. For the current timetable and route information, please click the BUS 54 link below. This bus arrives at Marist at 8.53am and departs Marist at 3.45pm. Note: this bus makes multiple stops each way.
To access these buses you will need a tap on tap off MYKI card or a yearly/half-yearly student bus pass.
Bus Pass Information
A PTV student bus pass can be used to travel on a School Town Special (STS) or a public bus -see application form for prices. Yearly or half yearly passes are available for purchase with completed 2025 forms at the Bendigo Train Station – forms must be stamped by Marist College prior to purchase. 2025 application forms will be available from mid January 2025 from Marlhes or via the link below.
Bus pass application form Bus Pass Application.
Complete the application and attach two passport sized photos
Bring the completed form to Marlhes to have it stamped and signed
Take the form to the Bendigo Train Station to purchase the bus pass
Conveyance Allowance Claims & Eligibility
You may be eligible for conveyance allowance if:
Your child attends their nearest government or non-government school/campus appropriate to their year level at which admission is permissible
Reside 4.8km or more by the shortest practicable route from that school/campus attended
be of school age (5 to 18 years old at time of application) and reside in Victoria
This allowance is only available to families who purchase a yearly or half yearly bus pass.
Other forms for Conveyance Allowance:
Private Car Travel: Form 1 – car private travel
Private Bus Travel: Form 2 – bus private travel
For more information regarding Conveyance Allowance please visit: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/transport/Pages/conveyance.aspx
To claim Conveyance Allowance:
Fill out Form 3 – public bus travel form
Attach your receipt of the purchase of the bus pass from PTV to this document
Return the form and receipt to Marlhes. ALL conveyance applications must be fully signed and returned in hardcopy, scanned emailed versions will not be accepted for audit purposes.
Country Bus Travel
The School Bus Program (SBP) provides transport assistance for eligible families in rural and regional Victoria via the Student Travel Assistance Portal. All applications are made online. Categories of eligibility determine whether a student travels at no cost or travels upon the payment of a fare. To find out if your child is eligible for the School Bus Program click here Country Bus Eligibility.
Please see Quick Reference Guide for instructions on how to apply.
New Country Bus travellers for 2025 apply via the Student Travel Assistance Portal when applications open in Term 4 2024. Existing travellers that change address or schools, need to lodge a new application via their existing account and accept a new offer.
Please contact 1800 338 663 or schoolbus@education.vic.gov.au with any enquiries.
2025 update: Families that have current travellers will be renewed automatically for travel in 2025, but you will need to accept the offer by logging into your account. If you are a term based traveller, an application must be made for each term and fees paid to be eligible for travel. All travel allocations for 2025 will be sent from mid November 2024. Please ensure you log in to your account and accept the offer.
2025 applications are now open for new enrolments: to avoid being wait listed please apply as soon as possible. All travel allocations for 2025 will be advised to families from mid November 2024.
Marist Chartered Services
In conjunction with our bus provider, Organs Coaches, Marist provides several private bus services that cover Maiden Gully, Marong, Castlemaine, Harcourt, Maldon, Castlemaine, and Maryborough.
NOTE: these services are separate from the School Town Specials operated by Christians and the Country Bus services. Some country buses also cover these areas and this can be checked via the pre application address check at Student Travel Assistance Portal
Marist Chartered Bus Services are supported by RollCall, an automated system that uses state-of-the-art travel smartcard technology with tracking technology to give parents and schools full visibility of students traveling on the school buses.
Some of the key features of RollCall include:
Accurate recording of travel using “tap on/tap off” technology
Real-time travel information, accessible to parents via a smartphone
Detailed information available to the College for bus locations and passengers at all times
More information is available from the RollCall website - https://rollcall.com.au/
IMPORTANT: There is a fee to access the chartered services and are subject to capacity. Please contact buses@marist.vic.edu.au if you require further information.