Students who attend three Hastings schools will still be able to catch the bus. Photo / NZME
Students who attend three Hastings schools will still be able to catch the bus. Photo / NZME
A parent in Central Hawke's Bay is rapt a Ministry of Education decision has been overturned which means her daughter can continue catching the bus to school.
About 30 students based in Central Hawke's Bay were at risk of losing their main source of transport to and from school inHastings, following overcrowding concerns on a popular bus route.
The Ministry of Education has a contract with bus company Tranzit Coachlines to take students from Central Hawke's Bay to special-character schools in Hastings, such as Christian schools.
"Ineligible" students who do not attend special-character schools have long shared the bus service as there has been extra space.
Those "ineligible" students include those who attend Hastings Girls', Hastings Boys' and Karamu High Schools.
The Ministry was notified of overcrowding on the 57-seat bus this year which led to a crackdown.
In March, the Ministry told those three "ineligible" schools their students would no longer be able to use the bus service from the start of term three.
It is understood that decision impacted about 30 students.
This week, the Ministry overturned that ban, following fresh commitments from the bus operator Tranzit.
"The operator has since notified us that they are able to manage capacity to ensure no standing passengers, and that they have obtained written approval from bypassed schools for some ineligible students," James Meffan, the Ministry of Education group manager school transport, said.
The bus route runs between Waipawa and Hastings. Photo / NZME
"As long as the provider meets these conditions of contract, we are prepared to allow ongoing carriage of ineligible students on this service."
Meffan said the bus in question had a seated capacity of 57 and no students were allowed to stand.
"With ineligible students included on this service, the total number of passengers that may use the bus on any given day significantly could exceed this seated capacity.
"Caregivers should be aware that if demand for the service exceeds seated capacity, then ineligible students will have to be removed from the service.
"We have encouraged the local schools to engage with the transport service provider to discuss more durable options for transporting ineligible students."
The Ministry of Education explained its bus contracts allowed providers like Tranzit to transport ineligible students at their discretion, on the proviso eligible students were not disadvantaged.
Mum Jess Nielson, from Otane, said she was rapt to hear she could continue sending her daughter on the bus to Hastings Girls' High School.
"That is what we wanted," she said.
"I think everyone would be happy with that and as a community we will chip in to help each other in the circumstances [where the bus is full]."
There is no all-girls' school in Central Hawke's Bay and Nielson said she sent her daughter to Hastings Girls' because she wanted the benefit of an all-girls' education.
She said she currently paid about $40 per week (or $4 per ride) to Tranzit to send her daughter on the bus to Hastings Girls'.
Nielson said impacted parents had looked into booking their own school bus as an alternative, but it would more than double the current cost, and be about $80 or $90 a week per child.
She said overcrowding was not a regular occurrence on the current route, according to her daughter.
Tranzit Coachlines general manager Jenna Snelgrove said in cases where there was overflow on the bus, another Tranzit bus would be used to pick up the remaining passengers to ensure capacity was not exceeded.
"We have another school service that follows this one and can cater for the overflow."
An earlier version of this story stated the Ministry of Education was halting access to the bus for ineligible passengers. To clarify, that was incorrect and the Ministry has decided to allow ineligible passengers on the bus if the bus provider meets requirements.
