Free School Transport Agreement, Data Protection Notice and Parent/Guardian Declaration
This Agreement applies to applications submitted by parents/legal guardians for the Free School Transport Scheme for students attending Church and Independent Schools.
Coop Services Ltd, of Triq in-Nassab, Qormi, is an approved School Transport Service Provider, hereinafter referred to as the “Provider”, entrusted with the transportation of eligible students from home to school and from school back home under the Free School Transport Scheme administered by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry”.

1. Purpose of the Application and Agreement
The information submitted through this form, and/or appearing on the official voucher issued in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme, is required in order to process the application for free school transport and to enable the Provider and/or the Ministry to organise, administer and deliver the Free School Transport Scheme.
The data may be processed for the following purposes:
- to receive and process the parent/legal guardian’s application;
- to verify eligibility for the Free School Transport Scheme;
- to verify the voucher ID, voucher code or other reference code issued in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme;
- to plan transport routes;
- to formulate transport schedules;
- to allocate students to appropriate vehicles and routes;
- to communicate with parents/legal guardians regarding transport arrangements;
- to communicate with schools, drivers, supervisors, the Ministry and/or authorised third-party service providers where necessary for the delivery of the service;
- to monitor the number of times the student makes use of the free school transport service, where applicable;
- to deal with operational, logistical, safety, administrative or legal matters connected with the provision of school transport;
- to carry out any other task strictly connected with the Free School Transport Scheme.

2. Personal Data Processed
The personal data submitted by parents/legal guardians and processed for the purposes of the Free School Transport Scheme shall be limited to the information required to process the application, verify the voucher details and organise the school transport service.
The data processed may include the following information, as applicable:
- scholastic year;
- application type, including whether the application relates to a non-state school;
- voucher ID, voucher code or other reference code issued in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme;
- details indicating whether the voucher applies to morning transport, afternoon transport, or both;
- parent/legal guardian details, including ID card number, first name, last name, telephone number, mobile number and email address;
- address details, including town, locality, street, post code, house name, house number and other address information provided;
- location-related details required for transport planning, including coordinates and distance to school, where applicable;
- student details, including ID card number, first name and last name;
- transport details, including student year and school attended;
- any other information appearing on the official voucher or application document issued in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme and required for the organisation, administration or delivery of the service.
Where information relating to specific transport requirements is provided by the parent/legal guardian, such information shall be processed only where necessary for the proper organisation and delivery of the transport service.

3. Use and Sharing of Data
The personal data submitted through this form and/or appearing on the official voucher will be used exclusively for the provision, administration and management of school transport services under the Free School Transport Scheme, unless another use is required or permitted by law.
The personal data submitted to the Provider may be shared with the Ministry for the purpose of implementing, administering and monitoring the Free School Transport Scheme.
Personal data may also be shared with schools, drivers, supervisors, authorised subcontractors, IT service providers, notification service providers and other third-party processors where this is necessary for the organisation and delivery of the transport service. Where third-party processors are used, the relevant contractual and organisational safeguards required under applicable data protection law shall apply.

4. Data Protection and Confidentiality
All personal data shall be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act and any other applicable data protection legislation.
The Provider shall process personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently, and shall take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
Personal data shall be treated confidentially and shall only be accessed by persons who require such access for the purposes of providing, managing, administering or monitoring the school transport service.

5. Retention of Personal Data
Personal data submitted in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme shall not be retained for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Unless a longer retention period is required by law, by the Ministry, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, the personal data shall be retained for not more than two (2) months after the end of the relevant scholastic year.

6. Parent/Guardian Notification System and Mobile App
The school transport vehicle used by the Provider may be equipped with apparatus connected to a parent/legal guardian notification system. This apparatus shall not carry personal data or images.
Should a Free School Transport mobile application or notification system be introduced, data may be processed through a contracted third-party system in order to notify the registered parent/legal guardian when the respective student has embarked or disembarked from a vehicle.
Such notifications may be issued through a third-party supplier acting on behalf of the Ministry and/or the Provider, strictly for the purpose of providing notifications connected with the Free School Transport Scheme.

7. Rights of Parents/Legal Guardians and Students
Subject to the applicable legal requirements and limitations, parents/legal guardians and/or students may have the right to request access to their personal data, rectification of inaccurate data, erasure of data, restriction of processing, objection to processing, and data portability where applicable.
Where processing is based on consent, the parent/legal guardian may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Requests relating to personal data processed by the Provider may be submitted to Coop Services Ltd. For data processed by the Ministry, parents/legal guardians may also consult the Data Protection Policy available on the school transport website: https://schooltransport.edu.mt
Parents/legal guardians also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in Malta, where applicable.

8. Service Availability and Logistical Arrangements
The parent/legal guardian acknowledges that, in view of the reform in school transport services whereby school transport is being delivered free of charge through the Ministry, the Ministry is ultimately responsible for the logistical organisation of the Free School Transport Scheme.
Accordingly, all bookings and applications made by parents/legal guardians with Coop Services Ltd are accepted on a without prejudice basis and are subject to the logistical arrangements, approvals, routes, resources and instructions issued or coordinated by the Ministry.
Coop Services Ltd shall not be held responsible for any booked trips which, due to logistical arrangements, route planning, capacity, Ministry instructions, operational limitations or other circumstances beyond its reasonable control, it is not in a position to service, or for any commenced trips which it is constrained to discontinue.

9. Parent/Guardian Declaration
By ticking the box below and submitting this form, I, as parent/legal guardian, declare that:
- I have read and understood this Free School Transport Agreement, Data Protection Notice and Parent/Guardian Declaration;
- the information submitted in this application and/or appearing on the official voucher is true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge;
- I authorise Coop Services Ltd to process the personal data submitted in this form and/or appearing on the official voucher issued in connection with the Free School Transport Scheme, for the purposes connected with the organisation, administration and delivery of the service;
- I understand that the personal data may be shared with the Ministry, the relevant school, authorised transport personnel, authorised subcontractors and third-party processors where necessary for the delivery, administration and monitoring of the service;
- I understand that the service is subject to logistical arrangements made by the Ministry and that submission of this form does not guarantee that every requested route, pick-up point, drop-off point, time or trip can be serviced;
- I understand that the personal data will not be used for purposes unrelated to the Free School Transport Scheme unless I have given consent or unless such processing is required or permitted by law.