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Christchurch School Starts New Trial Bus Service

Sunday 7 August 2016, 1:44PM

By RedPR

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The new bus carrying South Canterbury Students into Christchurch
The new bus carrying South Canterbury Students into Christchurch Credit: Supplied

CANTERBURY

Rangi Ruri Girls’ School has announced the commencement of a new Red Bus service for students in South West Canterbury.

Principal Dr Sandra Hastie says the initiative came from the difficulty parents were having getting their children to school using the existing routes.

“We are very supportive of effective public transport and having students on a bus, using bus lanes and other priority measures designed for bus efficiency, while avoiding the need for parents to drive to two or three schools on busy roads, so this was something we wanted to trial,” she says. “There’s already too little time and too much stress in many lives so if we can alleviate that for parents and students, that’s a good thing.”

The bus, which is identifiable by a “Rangi Ruru School Bus” sign, departs Burnham at 6.35am with five points from which students can be picked up and disembark from in Rolleston, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Tai Tapu and Halswell. The bus arrives at the school by 8.10am and returns at 4.00pm for pick up and will end the day in Burnham at 5.

Rangi Ruru Business Manager, Neil Templeton, says Red Bus has been very co-operative during the development of the service trial.

“We worked on ways to communicate with families if, for example, snow caused the cancellation or delay of a service; the setting of prices, and establishing a system so that if a student misses the bus there’s a way they can join the service at a stop further up the route,” he says. “We are open to suggestions for improvements during the trial and are encouraging parents and students to give us feedback.”

Fares are $7.50 return or $4.00 one way and students use their Cando card as they would for any metro bus. The card can be topped up with the driver.

Dr Hastie says the service is also available to students from other Christchurch independent schools and parents should contact Rangi Ruru to register their son or daughter. She adds that although this a trial, all going well, the intention is to continue the service.

For families:

Families need to provide details to Neil Templeton if they intend to use the service. Call 03 983 3700 or email n.templeton@rangiruru.school.nz

If you miss the bus you can contact the Red Bus operations centre and they can radio the bus driver to expect you at the next stop. The phone number for this is 964-3172 and you should leave a name to be passed to the driver as well.

In the event of snow or other events that prevent the bus from running, your school will text you as we are aware, on the cell number you provide as soon.

Ends

For more information, please contact Ali Jones on 027 247 3112

www.rangiruru.school.nz