Setting up a walking school bus

 

First off, good on you for wanting to set up a walking school bus! They are a wonderful way to get children walking, reduce vehicle traffic to school and around school gates, promote health and fitness and help to build a supportive and safe community for all. Here are a few ideas for getting started on setting up a walking school bus in your area.

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1.     Land Transport New Zealand has guidelines and "kit" for setting up a walking school bus (WSB) – they can be found at:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/sustainable-transport/guidelines/index.html

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/travel/school/walking-school-buses/resource-kits.html 

 

2.     Parents should talk to their children’s school to both gain support for the idea and to publicise it through school newsletters and assemblies etc.

3.     To be successful, a WSB needs good parental support. This can be gained through links in the classroom (as students learn about the safety, health, environmental and community benefits of walking to school they can influence their parents).

4.     It is also helpful to contact people working in local government for assistance and guidance. The road safety coordinators for the Wellington region are:

Mark Kairua	Porirua City Council	mkairua at pcc.govt.nz
Joanne Kinnaird	Upper Hutt City Council	joanne.kinnaird at uhcc.govt.nz
Mahu Leach	Lower Hutt City Council	mahu.leach at huttcity.govt.nz
Ruth Locker	Wairarapa Road Safety Council	ruth.locker at wairsc.org.nz
Jane Pearson	Kapiti Coast District Council	jane.pearson at kapiticoast.govt.nz
Emma Titcombe	Wellington City Council	emma.ticombe at wcc.govt.nz
Simon Vincent	Greater Wellington Regional Council	simon.vincent at gw.govt.nz
Sherie Wright	Lower Hutt City Council	birds.nest at paradise.net.nz

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Thanks go to Simon Vincent for his assistance in putting this together.