The Western Bay of Plenty Travel Safe team received two awards at the Safe and Sustainable Transport Association and NZ Traffic Institute Conference in Auckland earlier this week.

Programme leader Karen Smith was awarded the SASTA Cedric Rogers Road Safety Award for individual achievement and demonstration of a ‘Safe Systems' approach to successful community road safety projects.

Tauranga City Council Travel Safe Team: Angela Joyes, Karen Smith, Martin Parkes, Cindi Feder and Alana Rapson.

The Travel Safe team, Kids Can Ride and local Police were also awarded the Trafinz Leadership Award for outstanding leadership in Road Safety.

The award recognises the team's effort in delivering Western Bay region wide Cycle Education Programmes.

Tauranga City Council transportation manager Martin Parkes says the Travel Safe programme is recognised nationally for its road safety initiatives.

'These are well-deserved awards for Karen and the team and acknowledges their outstanding work in the development and delivery of these community programmes.”

The programme delivers a number of community road safety initiatives throughout the Western Bay of Plenty for people aged up to 80 plus years old and aligns to the National Road Safety Safer Journeys Strategy.