School Bus arrangements for 2022

Next year will see some changes to our school transport as the Ministry of Education transitions to a new contract with bus operators. The school bus operator is changing on some of our routes. We are working closely with our school bus operators and the Ministry of Education to ensure that the transition to the new school bus operator goes well.

To make sure that the start of the school year goes as smoothly as possible, please familiarise yourself with the information below.

As always, please either stay with your children while they are waiting for their school transport in the morning or keep in contact with them to make sure that they are picked up safely.

School bus routes, timetables and bus stop information:

https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/dunedin-buses

Go Bus School: https://gobus.co.nz/bus-services

Go Bus provides student transport on behalf of the Ministry of Education and private education providers for various schools throughout New Zealand.

The School Transport Policy is outlined in the Ministry of Education Fact Sheets which can be found on the Ministry of Education website. These facts sheets are designed to provide information on school transport and outline where schools and caregivers can access more information. Go Bus does not design the school bus routes or set the policy for school transport eligibility. Any queries regarding the routes or eligibility for your area should be directed to the school bus controller or headmaster of the applicable school.

For a copy of the map for the school routes operated by Go Bus, please contact your local Go Bus depot and speak with the school transport supervisor, or contact your local school.

Eligibility for school transport assistance

We often get questions about whether students qualify for school transport assistance i.e., a place on a school bus.

The Ministry of Education has three criteria that students must meet in order to qualify for school transport assistance. They are:

1. The student must attend their closest state or state-integrated school

2. The student must live more than a certain distance from the school:

• Years 1-8: At least 3.2 km

• Years 9-13: At least 4.8 km

   3. There must be no suitable public transport options

The Ministry of Education has a handy video on their website that helps explains the eligibility criteria for school transport assistance.

Responsibility of caregivers

To ensure a safe environment for bus loading and unloading caregivers should:

• not park in bus bays

• adhere to the speed limit (20 km/h while passing a stationary school bus on either side of the road)

• try to eliminate the need for children to cross the road

• ensure that children get to and from the bus stop safely

• teach children to not run across the road

Please note: if you currently have a private arrangement with your bus operator, you will need to contact your bus operator to confirm that your arrangement will continue in 2022.

School transport queries

If you have any queries about our school transport, please contact Helen Almey our Bus Controller. She can be contacted on halmey@shcs.school.nz.