Walking School Bus

As part of our TravelWise Travel Plan, Richmond Road School has a Walking School Bus, known as the Richmond Road Ants.
​
If you wish to join the bus: print, sign and submit to Linda Wong. lindafieldwong@gmail.com

• RRS_WSB_Consent_Form (55 kB)   

Contact Linda if you have any questions.

Not a Walking School Bus in your area?
To find out about setting up a Walking School Bus between your home and Richmond Road School contact our local Auckland Transport support person Delia Matthias – Delia.Matthias@at.govt.nz

Bus Route Information
Timetable for Richmond Rd Ants
Morning
1 Cnr of Dickens St and Murdoch Rd8.30 a.m.
2 Cnr of Dickens St and Rose Rd (Park Side)8.35 a.m.
3 Cnr Rose Rd (park side) and Chamberlain St8.40 a.m.
Arrive Richmond Road Primary 8.50 a.m.

Be active to our school events
With limited parking around our school and for the good of people and our environment we encourage everyone to be active when coming to school events. 

Walking School Bus Guidelines

The following guidelines govern the way our buses operate to ensure the safety and behaviour of the children as well as the consideration of other pedestrians, road users and residents.

Number of Adults
There should always be two adults present on the bus – one as driver at the front of the bus, one as conductor at the back. This may vary for buses with less than eight children i.e. Arnold All-Stars.

Wearing Vests
Adults must wear their vests at all times on the bus in order to be identified and clearly visible.
Whatever The Weather The walking bus should take place whatever the weather – rain or shine! However, if your children will not be walking owing to heavy rain, please contact the driver by 7.30 am to let them know – if it turns out that no-one will be using the bus it will save the driver from a wet, lonely walk. If you are the driver on a wet day, you must go ahead unless you have heard that all walkers will not be using the bus.

Route
The route has been finalised (please see map above). This route must be adhered to at all times.
The bus will collect passengers at the points indicated on the map Bus Stops will be marked on lamp posts however the bus will not wait at stops so children wishing to join the bus will need to be at the stop, or visible to the driver, as the bus approaches.
Obstructions
If any part of the pathway cannot be used due to a temporary blockage, e.g. roadworks, parked vehicles etc, the adults will need to divert accordingly.  If there are persistent problems with a route these should be reported to Auckland City Council. 

Responsibilities
Parents are responsible for their children’s safety to and from the designated “bus stops”. Drivers and conductors must stay with the group on the authorised route. Both parties must take care when children join and leave the bus. 
Setting Children’s ExpectationsParents should speak to their own children about road safety and appropriate behaviour before permitting them to join the Walking Bus.
Emphasise that children must listen to the driver and conductor and obey their instructions – particularly with regard to stopping and crossing at roads.

​Driver In Front, Conductor At The Back
The driver will be in the front leading the group and the conductor at the rear to ensure there are no stragglers. No child should walk ahead of the driver or behind the conductor. It is recommended to have the smallest and slowest children in front with the driver.
The children must walk along the pavement away from the kerb in an orderly manner, and in pairs where possible, allowing other pedestrians to pass.
​

Crossing Roads

1. When you are ready to cross the road, choose a safe place away from parked cars.
2. Clearly indicate when the children have  to stop and also use verbal cues such as Stop, Look and Cross.
3. When crossing, gather the children around you away from the kerb until you have decided it is safe to cross.
4. Walk across looking and listening as you go.
5. When you have crossed safely, reform your group and continue your journey.
6. If you have a group of over 25 children you may choose to split the group in two for crossing (The driver with one group and the conductor with the other).
7. Remember that you are not empowered to stop traffic in order to cross.​

If any driver stops to allow the group to cross it is vital that you check that other traffic is aware of what is happening and has stopped before you step on to the road. There is always the danger of other vehicles overtaking the stationary vehicle.

At the school crossing, make sure the whole group is assembled at the crossing before going across.

Parents’ Responsibilities

• Parents must have completed a consent form before a child is allowed to travel on the bus. This form includes emergency contact details and an indication of when the child will use the bus.
• It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the driver of any change to their child’s regular travel pattern.
• Parents should ensure that their children understand how the bus operates and impress upon them the need to behave sensibly and obey any instructions given by the conductor or driver.
• Parents are responsible for their children’s safety to and from the designated bus stops.
• Parents must discuss with their child alternative procedures if they miss the bus for any reason.
• If your child is having a friend over to play, then their parents must write and sign a note giving their child permission to walk on the bus. If adult to child ratios are exceeded you may be asked to come and walk with the bus.

Childrens' Responsibilities

• Children must behave sensibly and follow instructions.
• If for any reason a child misses the bus in the morning, they can catch up with the bus and join it if it is still visible; otherwise they must return home.  If for any reason a child is left behind after school, they must go to the school office and inform a member of staff.