The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has released details around bus services for school students from 2019, ahead of the Public Transport Blueprint roll out slated for December.
Forty per cent of feedback received during last year's Drive Change engagement process on the proposed Public Transport Blueprint was school related.
Regional council Public Transport Committee Chairman Councillor Lyall Thurston says that feedback is hugely important.
The Blueprint programme is aimed at encouraging the use of public transport by all users, which in turn will help ease the pressure on private transport and infrastructure.
The Regional Council has been working with schools in order to provide information about the upcoming changes to parents, and to develop school-led solutions for their transport needs.
'We heard the messages around children's safety and traffic congestion loud and clear,” says Lyall.
'These outcomes were school-led and in some cases, like with Greenpark School, they've come back to us with what works for them and we have been able to implement these modifications.”
The changes taking place under the Blueprint will see 27 dedicated school services operating in Tauranga from the start of term one in 2019.
'This will provide students with much greater choice about when and where they travel from before and after school, as well as for the wider community,” says Lyall.
'Encouraging children to use public transport develops good patterns for life; for example, when they move away for future study, they will be equipped with the knowledge of how to use public transport, ultimately encouraging them to rely less on private vehicles for transport.”
The regional council is still awaiting confirmation on potential assistance from the Ministry of Education for Papamoa and Papamoa East students attending Bethlehem College and Aquinas College.
Parents wanting further information on 2019 school bus services can visit the bay bus website for the latest schedule information.
Details around new public Bayhopper routes will be released in coming months.
2 comments
Parents attitute
Posted on 18-05-2018 07:55 | By Angels
Why do children not walk, bike etc if they live close to schools.You seldom see kids walking or riding bikes ever any more , its shocking.We wonder why the youth are having more health and weight issues.Parents are to ??? To let children walk together as anyone including most modern day parents did.Media etc have everyone overly paranoid . Would save the power bills with tv and computers not turned on so quickly before and after school.Back to the basics. If too far from school ,yes to busesIf to far to walk agree with buses, not everyone out causing traffic jams.
commute to school very important for child's development
Posted on 18-05-2018 17:22 | By begesch
When my children were young, we were told that the commute to school was a very important part of a child's development, for future dealing with situations, for making friends etc etc. Nowadays, although schools 'only' take children living in the 'vicinity', kids don't walk to school anymore. If they're too tired, then bike! I have nothing against a child on a bike on the walkway, as long as it warns me with a bell that it's coming past me.
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