Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how School Transport Services (“we”, “us” or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website. It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and the choices you have to control them. Please read it alongside our Privacy Policy.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your browser or device when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information and to help deliver relevant advertising. Cookies set by the site you are visiting are called “first-party cookies”; cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called “third-party cookies”. We also use similar technologies such as tracking pixels, tags and local storage, all of which we refer to here collectively as “cookies”.

How we manage cookies

When you first arrive, all non-essential cookies are switched off by default. A consent banner lets you Accept All, Reject Optional, or open the Privacy Preference Center to choose exactly which categories to allow. We honour your choice using Google Consent Mode, so analytics and advertising technologies only activate for the categories you have permitted. You can revisit and change your choices at any time by selecting “Cookie Settings” in our website footer.

The categories of cookies we use

1. Personalization (Functional & Essential)

These cookies are strictly necessary and are always active. They enable core functionality and remember your preferences — such as your login state, language, region and interface options — so you don’t have to reset them on every visit. They also support persistent logins, keeping you securely signed in to your account for extended periods (for example, up to 30 days) unless you manually log out. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, so they cannot be switched off.

2. Analytics (Performance)

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Using analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, they help us understand which pages are the most and least popular, see how visitors move around the site, and identify usability roadblocks. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and used only to improve how our website works. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site.

3. Marketing (Targeting & Social)

These cookies may be set through our site by us and our advertising partners. They are used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites, to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and to control how often you see an ad. They rely on technologies such as tag management (for example, Google Tag Manager) and advertising pixels (for example, the Meta Pixel) to record actions you take after clicking an ad. This category also powers social media sharing widgets, which may track you across other sites to build interest profiles. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

4. Simplified Forms (Convenience)

These functional cookies store basic information — such as your name or email — locally on your device so we can securely pre-fill forms for you. This reduces friction and saves you time during sign-ups or enquiries. If you turn this category off, any saved convenience data is removed and you will need to enter your details each time.

Third-party cookies and our data strategy

Some cookies described above are placed by third parties who provide services to us, such as analytics and advertising providers. We do not control these cookies, and you should review the relevant third party’s own privacy and cookie notices for more information. As the industry moves away from third-party cookies, we continue to invest in privacy-compliant, first-party data collected directly from you (for example, information you provide through our forms and account) so that we can keep improving and personalizing your experience responsibly.

How to control cookies

You have several ways to manage cookies. You can use our “Cookie Settings” link in the footer to change your preferences at any time. You can also set your browser to notify you when cookies are being sent, or to decline them altogether, through its settings menu. Please note that if you disable or decline certain cookies, some parts of our site may not function as intended.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Please revisit this page periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies.

Contact us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this policy, please reach out through our contact page.