What's a walking school bus?
an excerpt from TravelWise:
It’s Cool to Walk to School on a Walking School Bus
A walking school bus is not really a bus at all but a group of children who walk to and from school supervised by adults. Like a real bus, it travels at a set time and children leave the bus at special stops situated close to where they live.
The walking school bus is powered by the commitment of adult volunteers who walk as “drivers” and “conductors”. No qualifications or special skills are needed to be an adult volunteer and their work helps to reduce the number of cars near the school and helps to keep children safe and healthy.
Kids and Adults Love It
Walking school buses give children a sense of independence although they are part of a team. They provide a safe, healthy and fun way to travel to and from school, and both children and adults enjoy keeping fit!
To Start a Walking School Bus:
First contact your school to see if someone has already organized one. If not, you can put up a post on School Rides to see if there is enough interest and other volunteers to make it work. If so contact your local Walking School bus representative:
With the Super City here we are not sure about this contact info, but these were the Road Safety coordinators when the councils were separate:
Auckland City Council
Claire Dixon - 09 373 6857
Claire.Dixon@aucklandcity.govt.nz
Franklin District Council
Helen Faamoe - 021 512 407
Helen.Faamoe@arta.co.nz
Manukau City Council
Helen Faamoe - 021 512 407
Helen.Faamoe@arta.co.nz
North Shore City Council
Carol Murray - 09 486 8600
Carol.Murray@northshorecity.govt.nz
Papakura District Council
Helen Faamoe - 021 512 407
Helen.Faamoe@arta.co.nz
Rodney District Council
Jennifer Esterman - 09 427 3406
jennifer.esterman@rodney.govt.nz
Waitakere City Council
Bernadette Fatu - 09 836 8000 ext 8524
Bernadette.Fatu@waitakere.govt.nz
If you need additional help or are unsure what to do next, please contact:
Elena Smith
Regional Walking School Bus Coordinator
Office: 09 379 4422
Mobile: 021 334 556
elena.smith@arta.co.nz
Click here to access a fabulous PDF overview of the official walking school bus program.
