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A sea of orange is washing through the city this morning as hundreds of primary school students march for road safety.

Students from about 25 Tauranga City and Western Bay schools, along with school staff, parents and city officials, are taking part in this year's Orange Day parade - starting at The Strand at 9.30am.

Students taking place in the parade this morning.

The event is hosted by Travel Safe and Police to celebrate students being involved in road safety efforts at their education facilities. It sees Year 5-6 students march a loop from The Strand, along Harrington, Willow, Grey, and Elizabeth streets, back to the waterfront.

WBOP Area Commander Inspector Clifford Paxton, Tauranga City councillor Bill Grainger and Western Bay of Plenty District councillor Don Thwaites have opened the parade, and a judging of banners and a presentation of primary and intermediate winners will take place at Baywave afterwards.

Papamoa Primary School deputy principal Gen Fuller says 16 of her school's 22 Year 6 road patrollers have created a banner for the parade, which they'll later use to promote a positive message to prevent a road safety problem unique in their community.

'Orange Day is about recognising the children who have made a commitment throughout the year to helping support road safety at our school by being road patrollers; so it's a thank you to them for their commitment,” says Gen.

'The banner has a two-prong effect – it enables us to profile a positive message of parking in appropriate places. But it's also for next year – when we'll place it outside the school to publicly encourage a change in behaviour.”

Travel Safe programme leader Karen Smith says the parade celebrates Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty primary or intermediate school students' participation in road safety efforts, via help from Travel Safe and police.